Cherry Tart With Pistachio Frangipane, Meringue and Crunchy Almonds

This recipe is from my favorite Christine Ferber's book's Mes Tartes, which I refer  a lot each time I want to make sweet or savory tart. Recipe in her book uses almond frangipane for the filling, and almond praline for the pastry.  But, I wanted something a little bit different, so I made it using pistachio frangipane, and hazelnut praline (I couldn't find pistachio praline) for the pastry. Imagine if I can find pistachio praline, must have been indescribably delicious.  Hope you'll like it.

Cherry Tart With Pistachio Frangipane, Meringue and Crunchy Almonds 
Recipe adapted from Christine Ferber's Morello Cherry Tart With Crunchy Almonds

300 grams rich flaky pastry with pistachios and praline paste, recipe follows

500 grams pistachios frangipane, recipe follows

750 grams pitted fresh cherry

20 whole fresh cherries, to decorate (optional)

1/2 tbs confectioners' sugar, for springkling (optional)

For the crunchy almonds

100 grams slivered almonds

100 grams confectioners' sugar

1 egg white

For the meringue

3 egg whites

130 grams extra-fine sugar

The day before planning to make this tart, make the rich flaky pastry.

The following day, grease a 10 inches tart pan with butter. Set aside.

Roll out flaky pastry to 13 inches in diameter, and little more then 1/16 inch thick. Transfer onto prepared tart pan. Trim off the exces. Using a fork, prick all over the bottom, cover with plastic - refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F

Blind bake  tart shell for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool.

When tart shell is cooled, filled with pistachio frangipane. Arrange cherries on top, pressing them slightly into the frangipane. Bake tart in the middle rack for 45 minutes until the edge of the crust is lightly golden. Remove from oven and cool it down.

Lower the oven to 325F.

Prepare the meringue. Using electric mixer with medium speed, beat egg whites until foamy. Slowly in a steady stream add the sugar, increase the speed to medium high, and continue to beat until the whites are firm. Transfer into pastry bag with a large pain tip.

In a small bowl, gently mix slivered almond, confectioners' sugar, and egg white.

Pipe the  meringue onto cooled tart, distribute almonds mixture on top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the meringue and almonds are crunchy and golden color. Remove from oven, un mold, and place it on a wire rack to cool down completely before serving.

Rich Flaky Pastry With Praline Paste and Pistachio

250 grams pastry flour

25 grams finely ground pistachios

2 grams salt

90 grams confectioners' sugar

150 grams softened butter

1 egg, lightly beaten with fork

15 grams praline paste, or ground caramelized almonds

5 grams vanilla sugar

Sift flour, ground pistachio, and salt onto kitchen counter top. Make a well in the middle.

Using rubber spatula, or wooden spoon, beat butter, confectioners' sugar, praline paste, and vanilla sugar until creamy. Transfer this mixture into the well. Gather the flour a little at the time toward the center by rubbing the mixture between your fingers until form a coarse meal. When you are done, make another well, pour beaten egg int the middle. incorporate this mixture together by bringing flour mixture toward the center. Now, lightly knead the dough, just enough to bring them together, make sure that you don't overwork it. Form the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic, then refrigerate overnight, or at least 3 hours.

Pistachio Frangipane

150 grams softened butter

120 grams confectioners' sugar

150 grams ground pistachios

60 grams flour

3 eggs

Mix flour and ground pistachio together. Set aside.

Using electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium to medium high speed until light and creamy. Add eggs, continue to beat for about 30 seconds.  Lower the speed to the lowest setting. Add flour - pistachio mixture, mix just until incorporated.

Battenburg Cake

Classic, pretty, and delicious specialty from England. Love eating it with a cup of tea of course. Is not as hard as you might think. Really!

Battenburg Cake

recipe adapted from Claire Clark's Indulge

makes 2 cakes

480 g softened unsalted butter

480 g caster sugar

8 medium eggs

2 tsp vanilla

480 g flour

20 g baking powder

red food coloring

yellow food coloring

For finishing

1 jar apricot preserved, or raspberry preserved

100 g icing sugar

750 g marzipan

Preheat oven to 350F

Grease a 10 X 12 inch cake pan, line with parchment paper, grease the paper as well. Because the batter will be divided into 2 color, you will need a nother piece of parchment paper that will act as a divider. Please visit here on how to.  If you have battenburg tin, prepare it according to manufacture's instructions

Sift flour and baking powder onto a piece of parchment paper twice. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, lightly whisk eggs and vanilla. Set aside.

Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until pale and puffy. Add egg a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Don't forget to scrape the bowl from time to time. Turn off the mixer.

Fold flour carefully using a large spatula into cream mixture  in three addition. Do not overmix.

Divide batter in two equal portions. Add a drop of red food coloring in one batter, and yellow to the other. Be very gently not to handle the mixture too heavily.

Transfer the batter onto prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the cake spring back when gently press. Leave the cake to cool in the pan. Once cooled, refrigerate for at least an hour, but it will be easier to assemble if leave for 24 hours.

To assemble

Turn the cake onto a clean tray, remove the paper.

Heat  apricot, or raspberry  preserve until very hot, strain into a bowl.

Using a sharp serrated knife, trim off the edge and the top of of the cake (the brown and hard part from the cake), so you will have flat and even cake. Now cut it into equals strips about an inch wide. Watch the video here. Brush each pieces of the strip with preserve apricot, or raspberry. Arrange them neatly so you will have yellow, and pink in the bottom, then pink and yellow on top, or vise versa. Using the same knife, cut the cake into two equal portions.

Dust work surface with icing sugar. Roll out marzipan into 1/8 inch thick. Brush with hot preserved. Lay  one cake on top, cover entirely with marzipan. Repeat in the same manner with the other cake.

Korvapuustit - Finnish Cinnamon Buns

I want to share a delicious recipe that  I found at Rosa's website. The way she describe this buns was so convincing that I couldn't resist of not trying it in my own kitchen. Like she said, this Finnish buns were delicious, and addictive. I had to control myself to not over indulged, of course that was not happen. I ate so many of these buns, so did the my whole family. We were so satisfied! Thank you Rosa.

As usual, I add my own twist by adding citrus zest to the dough, and omitted the cardamom. I also add dried cranberries, currants, and raisins for the filling. Hope you will try the recipe!

For YeastSpotting!