It has been said that ‘the apple does not fall far from the tree’. My love of baking (and of course eating) cakes, biscuits, desserts and sweets is shared equally by my mother. When I baked this particular dessert a couple of days ago it made me think of her. I know for sure that she would enjoy it… this classic French tart, with perhaps a spoonful of double cream on the side.
We live so many miles apart, that it’s only once or twice a year that we get to spend time together… to cook, to eat out, to indulge in delicious French tarts. Though very sweetly, she will often make the recipes that I share on the blog in the week after I’ve posted them and lets me know how they turn out. I very much hope you try this one Mum! xx
French Apple Frangipane Tart | Gather and Graze
Ingredients
- Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (click here for recipe)
- Frangipane Filling (recipe below)
- 3-4 Apples (peeled, cored and thinly sliced)
- 1 Tablespoon Melted Butter
Instructions
Line a 23cm (shallow) tart tin with shortcrust pastry and prick the base all over with a fork. Par-bake the shell (covered in parchment paper and filled with pie weights/rice or beans) in a 200°C oven for 10 minutes. Remove the pie weights and parchment paper and return the empty tart shell to the oven for a further 5 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
Fill the tart shell with Frangipane Filling and arrange the thinly sliced apple on top, pressing slightly into the Frangipane. Brush the tops of the apple slices with melted butter, before baking at 180°C for about 35-40 minutes until the frangipane is puffed and golden.
Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, before placing on a serving plate. Perfect with a little double cream or ice-cream on the side.
To make the Frangipane Filling:
- 125g Unsalted Butter (softened)
- 160g/⅔ Cup Caster Sugar
- 2 Free-Range Eggs
- 2 Tablespoons Calvados (or Brandy)
- 200g/2 Cups Ground Almonds
Cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at time, beating between each addition to thoroughly combine. Fold in the Calvados and ground almonds.
Notes:
- Frangipane filling will keep for up to a week, refrigerated in an airtight container.
- This quantity of Frangipane provided enough for 2 x 23cm/9in (shallow) apples tarts.
Gather & Graze 
Oooh, I have to put this on my ‘to learn’ list too! 🙂
Fae, I’m sure I’ve seen much more complicated desserts on your fine blog! 🙂 I thank you very much though from the bottom of my heart for all your kind comments!
This tart looks like it should be in the window of a patisserie in Paris. So happy to have found your blog. Stunning photos. Emma xx
Awwww, such a sweet thing to say! You’ve made my day Emma – thank you! 🙂
Absolutely beautiful job making the tart. I’ll have to save this recipe for this fall when we start picking apples in our orchard. I think I might have to make a pear one as well.
So sorry for the delay in replying Karen! Thanks very much for such a lovely comment. How lucky you are to have an orchard with beautiful seasonal apples and pears to pluck straight from the trees!
It’s wonderful that you get to share recipes with your mom- especially this picture-perfect tart!
Thanks Mary! Not quite as lovely as sitting down to eat together… but the next best thing. 🙂
Gorgeous tart, Margot! I always love frangipane in tarts..apple and frangipane is just so awesome together!
Thank you Jo – they do pair up perfectly together don’t they!?
Probably won’t surprise you that I still haven’t managed to bake my apricot tart as yet. Hopefully tomorrow. As the apricots will be past their best. I even have a recipe lying open on my table to remind me! Anyway, how wonderful that your Mum makes your recipes. Loving that.
I’m really looking forward to this Apricot Tart Johnny! It would be heartbreaking to hear that those apricots went to waste, so get baking my friend! 😉 Though unfortunately if I love the look of it, it will need to be bookmarked for another 6 months anyway… so on second thoughts, perhaps take your time after all! 😉
This is perfection! You are so talented!
And you are sooo very kind… thank you Mimi! 🙂
That is a damn fine looking tart, my friend. I am a huge fan of frangipani and I love what you’ve done with the apples… Just effing love it!
That’s high praise indeed – thanks so very much!
I love frangipane tarts, whatever with fruit is in season, pears, apricots, apples. It’s been a quite while since I hade one though, thanks for the reminder, i’m salivating thinking about it!
Oh yes, perfect with apricots, plums and pears too! Hope you make one again soon. 🙂
I do love a classic apple tart, especially with the beautiful rosette pattern. And yours looks just about perfect. 🙂 You’ve given me an idea about using the Wild Brumby pear schnapps that we picked up a while ago – maybe it would go well in a pear frangipane tart….?
Ooooh, let me know when the Pear Schnapps Frangipane Tart is ready and I’ll be there… fork in hand! Sounds like a really wonderful variation. How cool is the Wild Brumby Distillery!? It’s been a few years since I was last there, but remember it being a fabulous place to stop for a bite to eat and a tasting or two.
Awesome tart Margot! anything that has calvados in it is a winner in my book!
It’s certainly been coming in handy the ol’ bottle of Calvados recently! Though for cooking only… I had a little taste of it straight, when I first opened the bottle, but found it so incredibly strong and not quite as pleasant to sip on as my preferred Bailey’s! Hope you and Mr LG are having a lovely weekend Karen!
We tried a sample of calvados at pastry school and it nearly blew my head off. I definitely can’t drink it straight either but it is such a lovely addition to desserts. Have a great weekend !
Thanks Karen 🙂
Margot, your tart is gorgeous 🙂 I love so much the Frangipane filling, soft in texture and rich in almonds, just perfect. Have a great weekend!
Thank you Linda! I do love a good Creme Patissiere for fruit tarts as well, but for apples and stone fruit you really can’t go past a slathering of Frangipane! Hope you have a wonderful weekend too! 🙂
Aunty B won’t be the only one trying this one out sweet Margot….looks delicious! Much love to you xx
Thanks dear Claire! Looking forward to the day we head off on our own ‘French Food Safari’ – doing cooking classes… wandering through village markets… eating the local delicacies! Give the boys a day on the bike every now and then and everyone is happy! 🙂 Sending big hugs to you all. M.xx
How lovely! It looks like we thought of the same idea for FF :). I prefer your look though 🙂
Thanks so much Loretta… I’ve just been over to visit your Pear and Cheese Tart, which looks amazing and flavour-wise is right up my alley!
This looks almost too pretty to eat…your photos are deliciously tempting. 🙂
Awww, thank you Nancy – very kind of you to say! 🙂
What a lovely tart, looks so perfectly put together. How nice that your mum prepares your recipes.
Thanks Cheri, I feel so very grateful that Mum enjoys what I’m posting on the blog – it is such a sweet thing that she wants to prepare the recipes too!
Such an elegant and inviting dish. X
Thank you Deena… I love the appeal of fruit flans/tarts – for both flavour and looks!
This really is a beautiful tart Margot. So well assembled and perfectly browned. It is so lovely your mom makes your recipes the week after you post them. I imagine she feels your presence as she follows your instructions and enjoys sharing your love of cooking beautiful food.
Seana, my Mum always cooked such delicious and varied food for us when we were growing up – so very lucky in that regard… to be exposed to lots of different cuisines. There were often dinner parties with their friends, where I remember peeking out through the door, in absolute awe of the dishes they were eating and the whole culture of entertaining in this rather formal way.
Thanks also for your kind comment about my apple tart… the browning on the edges was partly due to the fact that the first tart I baked had a thin layer of raspberry jam on the base and it bubbled up slightly in a few spots, but I decided for flavours-sake it was a little too sweet to include in the recipe to publish. Happy weekend to you and your family!
This looks wonderful!! So sweet of your mom to make your recipes and try them out!
Thanks for your very kind comment Lori. It really makes me think twice before I add a recipe to my blog – knowing that Mum will be giving it a try in the near future.
Great looking tart 🙂
Cheers Jess! 🙂
Absolutely beautiful and delicious Margot, I love the tart and your photo. The calvados in the frangipane filling is such a great idea. Amazing!!
I can completely recommend purchasing a bottle of Calvados (if you haven’t done so already…) Suzanne! It really enhances particular dessert/baking dishes – especially when they feature apples. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
very very good!
Thanks so much! 🙂
A beautiful tart, mine certainly never look that good :D. Big fan of apple tart too.
It all comes down to the taste though, at the end of the day… I’m sure yours was just as delicious. Happy to find a fellow apple tart fan! 🙂 Cheers, Margot
This tart sounds delicious and looks amazing! I love your addition of Calvados in the almond cream, it must give it a true “Normand” feeling.
Thanks so much Darya! The Calvados gives a subtle (yet slightly more complex) flavour to the frangipane – it’s well worth the addition!