Stone Fruit Tart w/ Apricots and Frangipane (Gluten Free)

Baskets of beautful apricots appeared in local markets just as this tart recipe was featured in Bon Appétit. I’d never made frangipane and didn’t think I’d eaten it, but on the first bite I knew it was the sliver of delicious creamy paste in the almond croissants I used to buy at the Rustic Bakery. There's a saying that "too much of anything is not too good" and there certainly is an abundance of filling in this tart, but if you're in the mood for a decadent treat that, as the Bon Appétit recipe says, "feels like luxury" and "tastes like the sun setting at 9:30 pm," by all means indulge.

So what is frangipane? Frangipane is a custard usually made of butter, eggs, ground almonds, sugar, a small amount of flour, and rum. It is most often used as a filling in tart shells or piped into pastries. The batter is similar to cookie dough and puffs up around the fruit while baking. 

The Bon Appétit recipe replacd the almonds with pecans and used bourbon instead of rum. I replaced the liquor with almond extract and used gluten-free flour. Nonetheless, the kitchen smelled divine and one bite into the soft warm apricots was a sure sign that summer had arrived.

My Paleo Marin Rating: 4 Persimmons*

Ingredients for the Apricot Stone Fruit Tart:

For the Pie Crust:

1/4 cup (28 g) powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal or 1/4 teaspoon Morton kosher salt

1 1/2 cups (188 g) Cup4Cup All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour

1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon water

For the Frangipane Filling:

1 1/2 cups (170 g) pecans

1 large egg

1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g)

3/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal or 1/2 teaspoon Morton kosher salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon Cup4Cup All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour

5-6 apricots, halved, pits removed, or substitute peach slices, plum halves, etc.

Optional Topping: Dusting of powdered sugar on the cooled tart before serving 

Directions for Making the Apricot Stone Fruit Tart:

For the Pie Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350º F (177º C).  Use a 9" tart pan with a removable bottom.

1. In a food processor, pulse the powdered sugar, salt, and flour just to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the largest pieces are pea-sized. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks and 1 tablespoon of water to blend. Drizzle the eggs into the food processor through the open funnel on top and mix just until the batter holds together and resembles wet sand.

2. Using your fingers, press the ball of dough into the tart pan. Work the dough around the bottom and up the sides of the fluting, pressing the dough into the flutes. Freeze the crust until firm at least 20 minutes, or wrap tightly and freeze for up to 12 hours. Bake right from the freezer in either case.

3. When ready to bake, prick the bottom of the crust with a fork in several places. Bake until the crust is set and lightly browned around the edges, about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes.

For the Frangipane Filling:

Preheat the oven to 300º F (149º C). Toast the pecans for 10 minutes on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing half way through. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 375º F (190º C) or if your oven runs hot, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and bake longer.

1. In a food processor, add the toasted pecans, egg, sugar, salt, butter, almond extract, vanilla extract, flour, and lemon juice. Mix until creamy and mostly smooth. Some pieces of nuts are ok. Frangipone should be a spreadable consistency.

3. Spread the frangipane across the bottom of the cooled tart shell. Place the halved apricots around the

Crust has been pre-baked;
Filling and apricots are ready for baking;
Loose foil is wrapped around
the top edge of the crust
to keep it from getting too dark

outside and in the center of the tart, gently pressing them just into the batter. To keep the crust from getting too brown, lightly cover the edges of the tart with a torn sheet of tin foil (see photo). 

4. Place the tart pan on the medium rack of the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Check and rotate the pan half way through baking. Bake until the frangipane is puffed up around the fruit, lightly browned, and just set. Place the tart pan on a wire rack. Let cool. 

5. To remove the tart from the pan, place a tall glass on a table or silpat sheet. Carefully place the tart pan on top and, while you hold the bottom of the tart steady, let the fluted edge slide down. Place the tart on a serving plate. Serve warm dusted with powdered sugar, or store in a covered container in the fridge and bring to room temperature before dusting and serving.

#apricots #stonefruit #summer #pecans #almonds #frangipane #frangipone #frangipani #vegetarian #dessert #glutenfree #nonalcoholic #vanilla #custard #pastry #baking #sweets #bakersofinstagram #almond #almondextract 

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit here.

For additional gluten-free stone fruit recipes, see posts below:

Lisa Bastianich's
Free Form Stone
Fruit Tart (GF)

Carmelized Peach
Upside-Down Cake (GF) (DF)

*My Paleo Marin Rating between 1-5 Persimmons

I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.