Blackberry Frangipane Tarts

Makes 8

Ingredients

For Dough

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, cubed & chilled
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • ⅓ tsp salt
  • 1½ cups pastry flour
  • 1 egg
  • ⅓ tsp vanilla paste or extract
  • pastry flour for dusting work surface

For Blackberry Compote

  • 6 pints blackberries
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • zest of 2 oranges
  • 1 tbsp ground lavender

For Frangipane

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¾ cup almond paste
  • 2 eggs
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour

To Bake

  • 1 pint blackberries
  • ¼ cup sliced almonds

Equipment

  • nonstick cooking spray
  • 8 removable-bottomed tart shells (3" - 4" each)
  • biscuit cutter (slightly larger than tart shells)
  • piping bag

How-to

Make Dough

  1. Using the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together until pale in color
  2. Add egg and beat well
  3. Add flour, salt and vanilla. Mix until combined
  4. Form into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours

Make Blackberry Compote

  1. Meanwhile, combine blackberries with sugar, lavender, orange zest and orange juice in a sauce pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the blackberries have just softened, 7-8 minutes
  2. Remove from heat and cool one hour

Roll Dough

  1. Preheat oven to 350º
  2. Coat work surface with all-purpose flour and roll out dough to ¼" thickness
  3. With a round cookie cutter (slightly larger than the size of the tart shell), cut out eight rounds of dough
  4. Coat 8 tart shells (3" - 4" each) with nonstick cooking spray. Press dough into shells, removing and discarding excess dough from the edges
  5. Add 1 tbsp blackberry compote in the bottom of each tart shell. Set aside

Make Frangipane & Assemble

  1. Cream almond paste, butter and sugar on medium speed with the paddle attachment, about 10 minutes or until light and fluffy
  2. Add eggs slowly and mix until incorporated, scraping down the bowl once
  3. Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour. Mix to combine, scraping down the bowl once
  4. Transfer to a piping bag. Pipe a layer of frangipane to cover (being careful not to disturb the compote)
  5. Top wth 4-5 fresh blackberries per tart and a sprinkling of sliced almonds
  6. Bake 30-40 minutes, then remove from oven and cool to room temperature
  7. Tarts should pop right out of shells. Serve at room temperature, or re-warm to serve and top with ice cream (if desired)