Easy Almond and Berry Tart (Baptism Sunday Almond Tart)
Serves:Our annual church picnic is an informal affair where everyone shares their picnic. I am always asked for the recipe for the simple almond tart that it has become my habit to take. So in the spirit of the "baptism Sunday picnic" here's the recipe. The almond filling is known in culinary circles as Frangipane and it makes everything taste like it came from a French patisserie.
Ingredients- 110g caster sugar
- 110g butter
- 110g ground almonds
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 2 sheets ready- made puff pastry, defrosted
- 1 ½ -2 cups frozen berries
- sliced almonds to sprinkle, optional
- icing sugar to dust
Method
Preheat the oven to 210°C.
Grease or spray with cooking spray a slice tray or Swiss roll pan measuring roughly 33 cm x 23 cm.
Place one sheet of pastry in the tray so it forms a slight lip at the end of the tray. Brush the other edge with a little water and overlap with the second sheet of pastry, pressing the two firmly to join them and gently pressing the second sheet into position. It will be longer than you need so when it’s in position, allow a little lip at the end and trim off the excess with a sharp knife. Prick the pastry all over with a fork.
Use a beater or processor to cream the butter and sugar until pale. Add the egg and beat again.
Then mix in the ground almonds, flour and vanilla. The mixture should be pale and a thick spreadable consistency. Pour into the pastry lined tray and spread the mixture so it evenly covers the base. Scatter on the frozen berries, scatter with sliced almonds if using and bake in the preheated oven until the top is dark golden and the filling set approximately 30 minutes. It will continue to firm up as it cools.
Serve warm or cold liberally dusted with icing sugar.
Tip
If you don't have berries, try this tart topped with canned fruit such as apricots or peaches instead.