Title: Ruby Tandoh's Peach And Black Pepper Frangipane Tart
Categories: Tarts
Yield: 6 Servings
MMMMM---------------------------PASTRY--------------------------------
135 g Plain flour
75 g Butter
50 g Ground almonds
30 g Caster sugar
1 pn Salt
1 lg Egg
Mascarpone; to serve
MMMMM--------------------------FILLING-------------------------------
75 g Unsalted butter; softened
50 g Caster sugar
50 g Runny honey
1 ts Vanilla extract
1 Orange; zest of
100 g Ground almonds
1 lg Egg; +1 lg egg yolk
50 g Plain flour
1 ts Coarse black pepper; plus
-extra for sprinkling
1/2 ts Baking powder
1 pn Salt; generous
2 lg Peaches; up to 3, skins left
-on, cut into slim segments
Peach and almond are made for one another, but they can verge on
cloying if a third ingredient doesn't perk them up. Here, it's black
pepper that adds that spark lending a little heat which, along with
the brightness of the orange zest, sets the sweet frangipane and
fruit into sharp relief.
Rub the flour and butter together in a large bowl. Keep working the
ingredients using your fingertips until no visible chunks of butter
remain. Stir in the ground almonds, caster sugar and salt. Whisk the
egg lightly, then add half of it to the flour mixture, cutting it
into the dry ingredients. Continue adding until the dough begins to
form in clumps. You shouldn't need more than of the egg. Once all the
flour has been moistened, press the dough into a ball, flatten
slightly and wrap in clingfilm. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or so,
during which time the dough will become less sticky.
Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured work surface until
it's 26 to 27 cm in diameter big enough to line the base and sides of
a 23 cm round tart or flan tin. You can also use a 20 cm round
loose-bottomed cake tin, if that's all you have just bake the filled
tart for slightly longer to cook the slightly deeper filling. Line
the tin with the pastry, prick all over the base with a fork and
place in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes (this'll reduce
the risk of the pastry shrinking as it bakes). Meanwhile, set the
oven to 200 C/400 F/gas mark 6.
Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy, then stir
in the honey, vanilla extract, orange zest, ground almonds, egg, and
egg yolk. Combine the flour, pepper, baking powder, and salt in a
separate bowl before adding to the almond mixture and folding gently
until smooth.
Spoon the filling into the chilled pastry case, then arrange the peach
slices neatly on top in concentric circles and grind plenty of black
pepper on top. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven before
reducing the temperature to 180 C/350 F/gas mark 4 and cooking for
a further 25 minutes. The pastry should be crisp, the filling
slightly risen and springy, and the peaches perfectly tender. Leave
the tart to cool to room temperature in its tin. Serve barely warm,
with sweetened mascarpone.
