Nectarine Frangipane Tart

It's usually called 'Peach and Frangipane Tart', but I prefer nectarines. And I'm really glad I used nectarines because it came out amazing and prettier than the tart in the Great British Bake Off recipe book. When the tart came out the oven the nectarines looked like they were glowing and they just fell apart on the fork and melted in the mouth. Mmmmm peachy.

Actually, as I have already explained it was more like: mmmmmm nectariney.

Anyway I have slightly altered the recipe because I didn't particularly like the way it was done in the book (sorry Mary and Paul). Enjoy!

For the pâte sucrée (posh word for enriched sweet pastry):
200g plain flour

¼ tsp salt

100g butter, chilled

4 large egg yolks

100g caster sugar

finely grated zest of ½ an unwaxed lemon

For the filling:

100g butter, softened

100g caster sugar

finely grated zest of ½ an unwaxed lemon

2 large eggs, beaten

100g ground almonds

100g plain flour

4 medium just-ripe yellow-fleshed nectarines

1 tbsp flaked almonds

icing sugar, for dusting

1 x 23cm loose based flan tin, greased and lined with baking paper

1. Sift flour and salt onto a clean surface (I used a marble slab) and make a well in the centre. Pour in the egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and work into the flour with your fingers or a scraper/spatula.

  2. Once the flour has been thoroughly worked in, cut the butter up and rub it into the mixture with your fingers. The mixture will be very sticky but try not to flour your hands or the pastry.

3. When the dough starts to come together dust the surface very lightly with flour and knead the dough until glossy, smooth and easily shaped. Roll into a ball, then flatten into a thick disc and wrap in clingfilm. Chill for 30 minutes.

  4. Dust the worktop with flour and roll dough into a circle and use it to line the flan tin. Use a piece of excess pastry to push it into the corners - if you use your fingers you may break it. Save any trimmings - you'll use them later. Preheat the oven to 190C (170-80 in a fan oven)/gas 5.
5. Beat the butter for the filling with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until soft and fluffy, then beat in the lemon zest and sugar, followed by the eggs. Spoon into the pastry case and put in the fridge until needed.

6. Bring a pan of water to the boil and make a small cut in each nectarine near the stalk. Boil the nectarines for 12 seconds or until their skins peel off (2 of mine took a lot longer than 12 seconds). Cut each peeled nectarine in half and remove the stone. This may get a bit messy but don't worry too much, the frangipane will rise and cover most of the mess. With one of the halves, cut into slices, leaving about a cm attached at the top of the half, near the stalk. Fan out the slices and put this half in the middle, then place all the others around it. I could actually only fit 6 halves around it so I ate the last one. Bake for 25 minutes.
7. While the tart is baking, roll out the trimmings and cut into leaf shapes. Take the tart out the oven and place the leaf decorations on top along with the flaked almonds. Lower the oven temperature to 180C (160-70 in a fan oven)/gas 4 and bake for another 25-30 minutes until both pastry and frangipane are golden.
8. Leave to cool for at least 10 minutes but then eat - it's best served warm. I'll let you into a secret - if there are leftovers the next day, Mary and Paul would have you reheat them in the oven but I just give them 30 seconds to a minute per slice in the microwave. Don't tell anyone.

I think I'm getting better at taking these pictures of baked goods you know.

Bye for now,
Ellie
xxx