Recipe for classic French frangipane and fruit tarts

Wherever you go in France, the patisseries and boulangeries feature jewel like fruit tarts. Encased in sweet pastry, sometimes bathed in a creamy thick custard or on a bed of frangipane as in this recipe.

1 packet of sweet pastry for tarts
1 quantity frangipane (recipe below)
400 g (14 oz) mixed berries
3 tablespoons apricot or other fruit jam (jelly)

Ingredients for Frangipane

250 g (9 oz) unsalted butter, softened
250 g (2 cups) icing (confectioners’) sugar
230 g (2¼ cups) ground almonds
40 g (/3 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
5 eggs, lightly beaten
Makes 800 g (1 lb 12 oz)\

Make the frangipane: Beat the butter until very soft. Add the icing sugar, ground almonds and flour and beat well. Add the egg gradually, beating until fully incorporated. Transfer to a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap and retrigerate for up to 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4).

Roll out the pastry (recipe here if you want to make it at home) to a thickness of 2 mm (⅛ inch) and use to line ten 8 cm (3 inch) wide tartlet tins. You can make one big tart, but it works better if they are small tarts.

Use a piping bag to pipe the frangipane into the tart cases. Then bake on a baking tray for 10-12 minutes, or until golden.

Allow the tarts to cool slightly on a wire rack and place berries on top. Try to avoid using soggy berries as it will make the frangipane soggy.

Melt the jam with 1 teaspoon water, remove any lumps and brush over the berries to make the tarts shine!