This high altitude tested apricot frangipane tart combines thin, crisp and buttery pastry crust filled with layers of almond frangipane and sweet apricot preserves, finished with a lattice crust on top. For a dessert that’s as delicious as it is beautiful, this one is sure to impress.
You might also love this apricot almond torte, apricot almond oat bars, and fresh peach and apricot jam.
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What is Frangipane?
Frangipane is a spreadable almond paste or almond cream made of butter, sugar, almond flour (or ground almonds), eggs and almond extract. It’s a popular filling in French and British pastries, and is often used in cakes, pies and tarts. Frangipane is a main component of the Bakewell tart. When baked, the filling has the texture of a soft, moist, dense almond cake.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Delicious Flavors and Textures. I love the flavors of almonds and apricots together, and I have a number of recipes on my site featuring these two ingredients. The delicate pastry crust is thin and crisp, for a wonderful contrast with the soft frangipane and apricot jam.
Ready in a Few Hours. Most fruit pies need a long time after baking to set up and thicken, but you can enjoy this apricot frangipane tart while it’s still slightly warm from the oven. It’s ideal for baking in the early afternoon to serve for dessert that evening.
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude. Today’s recipe will also work at lower altitudes and sea level without adjustments, though.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
- Pie Dough. For the pastry crust, I used my recipe for all butter pie dough. It’s crisp, buttery and flaky, and easy to roll out thinly for the bottom crust and lattice strips on top of the tart.
- Butter. Use unsalted butter, or omit the extra salt if using salted butter. The butter should be soft, so you can easily cream it with the sugar.
- Granulated Sugar. Adds sweetness to the frangipane filling, and a bit of crunch to the lattice crust when sprinkled on top before baking.
- Eggs. Adds moisture to the frangipane, as well as strength and structure.
- Vanilla + Almond Extracts. Flavor.
- Flour. You’ll need almond flour as well as all-purpose flour for the filling.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Jam or Preserves. Use good quality apricot preserves for the best flavor.
- Egg White. I usually brush a top pie crust with egg white, then sprinkle it with sugar. This gives it a beautiful color and crunch.
Instructions
Crust
- Prepare one recipe Pie Dough, as instructed.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, until ready to assemble the tart.
Frangipane
- With an electric mixer (stand or hand held), beat the softened butter with the sugar for several minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and beat in the eggs, almond extract and vanilla extract; the mixture will be lumpy.
- Add the almond flour, all purpose flour and salt. Beat for several minutes until thick and smooth.
Assembly
- Prepare a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom by spraying the pan with non-stick baking spray. As the tart bakes, some of the apricot preserves will bubble up against the edges of the pan and become sticky around the side of the crust, so the spray will help to ensure easy release.
- Work with half the dough at a time, keeping the other half refrigerated until needed. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half the dough very thinly, to about 1/8 inch thick, using more flour on top and under the dough to keep it from sticking. Fit the dough into the pan without stretching it, pressing it gently against the bottom and up the sides of the pan, making sure the dough hangs over the edges of the pan by at least 1/2 inch.
- Spread the frangipane evenly over the bottom crust, then spread the apricot jam over the frangipane.
- Roll out the other half of the dough very thinly, to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into strips, then arrange the strips in a lattice pattern over the filling. If needed, gather up the extra dough scraps and re-roll them to make enough lattice strips.
- To trim the edges, simply use your fingers to press the dough straight down around the edges against the pan. The edge of the pan will cut the dough cleanly, and the top and bottom crust will seal together.
- Lightly brush the egg white over the lattice crust, then sprinkle with the 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Freeze the tart while you preheat the oven.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 375 F, with a rack positioned in the lower third of the oven.
- Set the tart directly on a baking sheet to catch any drips of butter or jam. Bake the tart on the lower oven rack for about 45-50 minutes, until the top crust is golden brown and crisp.
- Cool the tart in the pan for 20-30 minutes, then carefully remove the sides of the pan, but keep the tart on the base of the pan. Set the tart on a cooling rack and cool for several hours before serving.
Recipe Variations
Other Jam Flavors. You can really use any flavor of jam or fruit preserves that you like. I think orange marmalade would be fantastic, but cherry preserves would also be good.
Short Crust Pastry. Instead of pie dough, you can make a press-in-the-pan short crust pastry that’s more cookie-like than pie crust. With this option, you would only make a bottom crust, since you cannot use short crust pastry to cut strips of lattice dough.
Fresh Apricots. Instead of the apricot preserves or jam, make your apricot frangipane tart by arranging slices of fresh seasonal apricots (or peaches or plums) over the frangipane filling.
Other Fresh Fruit. Frangipane tarts are often made with slices of ripe pears or peaches nestled into the frangipane filling. You could even just sprinkle some sliced almonds over the filling, instead of fruit or jam.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make the pie dough well in advance to use later. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3-6 months.
Cool the tart completely, then store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
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Apricot Frangipane Tart
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 recipe All Butter Pie Dough
Frangipane
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp almond extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup almond flour (or very finely ground almonds)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
Other
- 1 cup good quality apricot preserves (13-oz jar)
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
Crust
- Prepare one recipe Pie Dough, as instructed.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, until ready to assemble the tart.
Frangipane
- With an electric mixer (stand or hand held), beat the softened butter with the sugar for several minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and beat in the eggs, almond extract and vanilla extract; the mixture will be lumpy.
- Add the almond flour, all purpose flour and salt. Beat for several minutes until thick and smooth.
Assembly
- Prepare a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom by spraying the pan with non-stick baking spray. As the tart bakes, some of the apricot preserves will bubble up against the edges of the pan and become sticky around the side of the crust, so the spray will help to ensure easy release.
- Work with half the dough at a time, keeping the other half refrigerated until needed. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half the dough very thinly, to about 1/8 inch thick, using more flour on top and under the dough to keep it from sticking. Fit the dough into the pan without stretching it, pressing it gently against the bottom and up the sides of the pan, making sure the dough hangs over the edges of the pan by at least 1/2 inch.
- Spread the frangipane evenly over the bottom crust, then spread the apricot jam over the frangipane.
- Roll out the other half of the dough very thinly, to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into strips, then arrange the strips in a lattice pattern over the filling. If needed, gather up the extra dough scraps and re-roll them to make enough lattice strips.
- To trim the edges, simply use your fingers to press the dough straight down around the edges against the pan. The edge of the pan will cut the dough cleanly, and the top and bottom crust will seal together.
- Lightly brush the egg white over the lattice crust, then sprinkle with the 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Freeze the tart while you preheat the oven.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 375 F, with a rack positioned in the lower third of the oven.
- Set the tart directly on a baking sheet to catch any drips of butter or jam. Bake the tart on the lower oven rack for about 45-50 minutes, until the top crust is golden brown and crisp.
- Cool the tart in the pan for 20-30 minutes, then carefully remove the sides of the pan, but keep the tart on the base of the pan. Set the tart on a cooling rack and cool for several hours before serving.
Vicki
I made this with cherry preserves for valentines . It was delicious! Cut hearts out of dough for top .