I'm not a winter person.
However, as fall settles in and I busy myself by trying not to think too much about what is to come, I force myself to find all kinds of reasons why fall is so wonderful.
After sweating all summer and running and playing and picnicking and swimming and traveling, there's something nice about slowing down. Reflecting. Finding moments to be present and still.
Baking is just that. So when you start to feel that winter dread coming on like I do, make yourself a cup of tea, pull out your prettiest recipe, your measuring cups, bowls and spoons, and get to it.
You'll soon forget why you ever felt blue in the first place.
Raspberry Frangipane Tart
Adapted from the New York Times recipe for Cherry Frangipane Tart
For the tart dough:
- 1 cup/125 grams all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup/45 grams granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons/86 grams chilled unsalted butter, in small pieces
- 1 egg yolk beaten with 2 teaspoons water
For the filling:
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ cup/90 grams granulated sugar
- 4 ounces/1 stick/112 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Raspberries
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
PREPARATION
Make the tart dough: Combine flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Work in butter thoroughly. Stir in egg yolk mixture and knead briefly until dough is smooth, then form into a flat disk.
Roll dough to a large circle and lay it in a 10-inch/23-centimeter fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press in well (patch any cracks with extra dough). Refrigerate or freeze for 1 hour.
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Blind bake tart shell until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. (You do not need to cover the shell or use pie weights.)
Meanwhile, make the filling: Put almonds, flour and sugar in work bowl of food processor and grind to a rough powder. Add butter and pulse until well incorporated. Add eggs and almond extract and process until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. (Alternatively, use ground almonds and make batter with a mixer instead.)
Pour almond batter into prebaked shell and smooth with a spatula. Press raspberries into batter in a single layer. Lower oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake until golden, 30 to 40 minutes. (An inserted skewer should come out clean.) Cool on a rack and remove outer rim of tart pan. Place tart on a serving dish and dust with confectioners’ sugar.