Cherry Almond Tart
I tell people all the time that my favorite part of pastry is mixing and matching different components to make various desserts. I always make a double batch of tart crust and keep the extra dough in the freezer — a fine display of planning ahead, and some true self care if you think about it.
Lately I’ve been trying to get a bunch of pastry staples up on this blog, such as puff pastry and frangipane. Once I have base recipes published, you will often find me referring back to them, like in this recipe. We are going to use frangipane and tart dough to make a quick tart that’s equally good for breakfast or dessert, and not too sweet! I used to start each morning in the bakery with a slice of frangipane tart. Probably not the healthiest breakfast, but hey, cereal is straight up sugar, too.
No matter the season you can place your favorite ripe fruit on here and it will perform well. Poached pears, fresh peaches or plums, apples, or even a mix of berries will all work nicely here. I’m using sweet cherries for this one. I originally attempted to poach some plums for it but… everyone makes mistakes and unfortunately the plums are no longer with us today! Rest In Peace to those lovely plums.
Recipe Notes: I don’t always blind bake the shell for my frangipane tarts. You can if you want, but I’ve found it unnecessary if you place the tart directly on a hot sheet pan in a preheated oven. The tart dough itself must also be on the thin side; just barely thick enough to press into the crimped tart pan’s edges. Once the tart is assembled, I rest mine in the freezer for 10 to 20 minutes. I’ve found when I bake it from room temperature my cherries sink to the bottom. There’s nothing wrong with that, but for aesthetic purposes I like my fruit to stay right on top.
cherry frangipane tart
1/2 batch of prepared tart dough
1 batch prepared frangipane
1 cup cherries, pitted and halved
Roll out the tart dough and line a 9” tart pan (or miniature tart pans, this will probably make about 6). Dock the bottom with a fork and place it in the freezer. Preheat the oven to 375º F and place a sheet pan on the lower rack.
Make the frangipane if you haven’t done so. Remove the tart dough from the freezer and fill it with the frangipane. Spread it into an even layer, then dot with cherries (or your fruit of choice) in a circular pattern. Place back in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Remove the tart from the freezer and place it in the preheated oven directly on the hot sheet pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the tart crust is browned on the edges and the frangipane is set and puffed in the middle. Cool completely before slicing.
Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, or just as is! The tart will last for at least 2 days if you wrap it up well and store at room temp.
