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5 from 5 votes

Cherry & Pistachio Frangipane

A deliciously simple & comforting Cherry & Pistachio Frangipane. Sweet pastry, spread with dark cherry jam, topped with brown butter pistachio frangipane.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Resting Time2 hours
Total Time3 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 8 generous slices
Author: Vicki | Passionate Baker

Ingredients

for the sweet pastry

  • 175 gr plain flour
  • 112.5 gr salted butter, cubed and cold
  • 50 gr icing sugar, sifted
  • 30 gr egg yolk
  • 1/4 lemon, zested

for the frangipane

  • 100 gr brown butter, chilled
  • 100 gr caster sugar
  • 1.5 eggs, lightly whisked together
  • 70 gr ground pistachios
  • 30 gr ground almonds
  • 25 gr plain flour
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 3/4 tsp almond extract

for the cherry filling

  • 2/3 cup dark cherry jam

to finish

  • 2 tbsp apricot jam (optional)

Instructions

for the sweet pastry

  • Place the flour, icing sugar & lemon zest in bowl; mix.
  • Using your fingers - or a KitchenAid - breadcrumb the butter into the mixture until it is a fine consistency, with only smaller pieces of butter remaining.
  • Add the egg yolk and bring together to form a dough. Tightly wrap in cling film & leave to rest in the fridge for a minimum of two hours.
  • Once chilled, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, to about 4mm thick, turning the pastry often. Line your 9-inch tart tin with the pastry, trimming off any excess. Place into the fridge while you make the frangipane.

for the frangipane

  • Beat the brown butter down, until it is lightly whipped. Add the sugar & almond extract.
  • Beat in the eggs; mix until thoroughly combined.
  • Add in the ground almonds, pistachios, and the flour. Whisk together until homogeneous.

to assemble

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  • Remove the chilled tart from the fridge and use an offset spatula to spread the cherry jam over the base.
  • Dollop the frangipane mixture on top of the jam & use a spoon or offset spatula to gently spread it across the top.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45minutes, or until the frangipane springs back to the touch and the pastry is a deep golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin for 10-minutes, before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Melt the apricot jam lightly in the microwave and use a pastry brush to coat the frangipane with it.

Notes

  • the sweet pastry dough is quite buttery, and can become hard to work with when warm. Make sure you roll it out when it is cold, working quickly. 
  • alternatively, if you've found that it's entirely unmanageable (we've all been there!), roll it into a fat worm shape, wrap in cling film, and pop in the freezer for a couple hours. Once frozen, use a box grater to break it down & use your fingertips to push the grated dough into the tart tin. Works every time!