Peach Frangipane Tart with an Easy Polish-Style Crust

If you buy a bunch of peaches, and they all happen to ripen at the same time, what can you do?  No need to panic.  The tried and true solution to such a dilemma (aside from making jam) is to bake something special with the extra peaches.  You can bake a fruit pie, tart, crostada, crumble, crisp, cobbler, buckle, or cake.  I wanted to try a French peach tart with frangipane, or almond pastry cream.  The name  is linked to a 16th century Italian nobleman, Marquis Muzio Frangipani, who invented scented gloves of all things!  French pastry chefs took advantage of the name to describe a pastry cream flavored with almonds.

The French-style peach frangipane tart would typically use for the crust a sweet shortcrust pastry, pâte sucrée.  For my peach frangipane tart, I wanted to use a quick, Polish-style crust that is softer and cakier instead, which is perfect for absorbing extra juices from the fruit.  And to make it even more attractive, this version is super easy to make–just mix the crust ingredients together for a few seconds in a mixer and press the crust into the pan.  No need to wait for the dough to chill before using, and no need to roll out the dough.  Of course, you can if you want to, but I’ve found that the results were not significantly improved by the added steps.  However, you must pre-bake the crust.  For this step, blind-baking doesn’t improve the results either.

Below is the recipe, followed by step-by-step instructions with photographs.  Join me again after the recipe!

Print Recipe

Polish Peach Frangipane Tart (Tarta frangipaną brzoskwiniową)

© 2019 HolyTrail.com

Course

Dessert, Pastry

Cuisine

French, Polish

Keyword

Pastry

Servings

Ingredients

Crust

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest (optional) (zest of about 1/2 a medium lemon)
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (1 1/2 sticks or 6 ounces or 170 grams)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, room temperature

Frangipane (Almond Cream)

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (one stick or 4 ounces or 113 grams)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3-4 medium to large peaches (1 1/2 pounds or 700g)
• confectioner's sugar for dusting
• 2-3 tablespoons apricot jam (optional) Warm briefly in microwave or in saucepan on the stove top and stir until smooth before brushing.

Course Dessert, Pastry Cuisine French, Polish Keyword Pastry Servings Ingredients Crust 2 cups all-purpose flour 2/3 cup granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest (optional) (zest of about 1/2 a medium lemon) 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (1 1/2 sticks or 6 ounces or 170 grams) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 large egg, room temperature Frangipane (Almond Cream) 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (one stick or 4 ounces or 113 grams) 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 cup almond flour 2 large eggs, room temperature 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon almond extract 1/8 teaspoon salt 3-4 medium to large peaches (1 1/2 pounds or 700g) confectioner's sugar for dusting 2-3 tablespoons apricot jam (optional) Warm briefly in microwave or in saucepan on the stove top and stir until smooth before brushing.

Instructions

Make the Crust

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest (if using) in a medium bowl.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter using an electric mixer on medium speed for a few seconds. Stop mixer. Add flour mixture, vanilla extract, and egg and mix on low speed until moist crumbs form and dough sticks together when pressed with your fingers, about 20-30 seconds. Press dough into a large, 10 or 11-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Prick dough all around with a fork. If dough is very soft and sticky, refrigerate for 30 minutes (optional). Bake crust in preheated oven until lightly golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let completely cool to room temperature. [NOTE: Expect that crust will puff up while baking and the walls of the crust may not be very distinct.]

Make the Frangipane Filling

1. In a large bowl using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar at medium high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium low and mix in eggs, one at a time, only adding the second egg after the first has been fully incorporated. Stop mixer, scrape sides of the bowl with a spatula, and continue mixing for 10 seconds more. Using a spatula, stir in almond flour, salt, vanilla extract, and almond extract until mixture is smooth. Set aside.

Assemble Tart and Bake

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread frangipane evenly into prepared crust. Place peaches in a large bowl and pour boiling water to cover. Drain after 30 seconds. Peel peaches and remove pits. Slice each peach in half, and slice each half into 6 to 8 slices.
2. Arrange peach slices on top of filled tart in rows by inserting each slice on a slight angle into the frangipane, starting from the center of the tart and moving outwards. Slices should overlap. Form the first row by starting from the center with the smallest slices and inserting increasingly larger slices to form a row towards the outer edge. Then, insert slices from the center towards the opposite edge, resulting in a straight row from edge to edge down the middle of the tart. Form a second row of peach slices down the middle of the existing row to form an "X." Arrange remaining slices in rows to fill each of the four spaces in between the "X." Always start from the center when arranging rows.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown and the frangipane is springy to the touch. Let cool about 15 minutes. Dust with confectioners sugar.* Can be served immediately or at room temperature.
4. Optional: Brush top of tart with warmed apricot jam. Let jam set, about 15 minutes, before slicing and serving.

Share this Recipe

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Prepare the crust ingredients by first mixing together all the dry ingredients:  2 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2/3 cup sugar, and the zest of half a lemon (optional).  

Cut the butter into tablespoon-size segments.

Using an electric mixer, mix together 6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) butter at room temperature (but not too soft), one egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and the dry ingredients.

Mix for about 20 seconds.

Form the dough into a ball.

Place the dough into a 10 or 11 inch tart pan with a removable bottom.

Press the dough up to the side in an even layer.

Press some of the dough up the sides of the pan, and then even out the bottom so there are no holes or spots where the dough is too thin or thick.

Prick the bottom with the tines of a fork.

Bake the crust for 20- 25 minutes, or until light golden brown.  Let completely cool in the pan.  This crust doesn’t have too much of a lip, but it still fits the frangipane, so don’t worry.

Begin making the frangipane by creaming one stick of butter (4 ounces, or 8 tablespoons) with 1/2 cup of sugar until light and fluffy.

Scrape the sides of the  bowl, and then mix in one egg.  Mix until fully incorporated.

Then repeat with the second egg.

By hand, using a spatula, mix in the almond flour, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt.

Spread the frangipane into the crust.

Set aside and prepare the fruit.  To make it easier to peel the peaches, pour boiling water over the peaches.  Drain after a few seconds.

Peel and cut the peaches in half to take the pits out.

Cut each peach half into about six slices.

Arrange the peaches on top of the frangipane, starting from the center with the smallest pieces.  Create rows from the center to the outer edge (like a flower).  Partially insert each slice into the frangipane so that the outer edge of the slice faces upward at a slight angle.  Form a row down the middle of the tart.  Then start another row from the center of the first row.

Repeat on the other side to form an “X.”

Arrange the remaining slices to fill the rest of the tart.  Three large or four medium peaches generally sufficiently fill the entire tart.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown across the entire top and not just the edges. The frangipane will be springy to the touch.  Note that the edges brown faster than the center, so you might need to cover the outer portions of the tart with strips of aluminum foil if they turn golden brown before the center does.  The edges of my tart below might qualify as slightly too brown, but it didn’t taste too brown!

Dust with confectioners sugar after the tart has cooled for a few minutes.  The tart is ready to serve now or cooled to room temperature.

Here is a side view of a slice.

You can also brush the top of the tart with 2-3 tablespoons of warmed apricot jam.  Stir the jam before brushing to remove clumps and to make it is easier to work with.

The combination of flavors and textures from the peaches, creamy frangipane, and sweet crust make this tart divine.  Why don’t you try a slice?!