After Sammy shared her stone fruit frangipane tart on the blog, I made my first tart. I loved it enough to make it twice in the same week. While almonds paired with late-summer fruit will always have my heart, the cooler weather had me craving something deeper and more nutty — pistachios, hazelnuts, and browned butter.
For this tart, I used my shortbread crust. Soft and tender, it makes a beautiful base for all kinds of sweet tarts. The frangipane is made from freshly ground pistachios, flecked with vanilla bean and lifted with a touch of almond extract. Raspberries are scattered over the top, along with a nutty streusel. Finished simply with a dusting of powdered sugar and spoonfuls of softly whipped cream.
Ingredients You’ll Need for the Pistachio Frangipane Tart
Pistachio Frangipane
Butter. Unsalted, at room temperature; gives the frangipane its soft, spreadable texture.
Sugar. Granulated sugar for sweetness and structure.
Pistachios. Finely ground; freshly ground pistachios give the frangipane its color and deep, nutty flavor.
Eggs. Two large eggs, at room temperature.
Vanilla. Vanilla bean paste or extract for warmth and depth.
Almond Extract. Optional, just a touch to lift the pistachio and add warmth.
Salt. A small pinch to balance the sweetness.
All-Purpose Flour. Helps the frangipane set while staying tender.
Streusel
Flour. All-purpose flour for a light, crumbly topping.
Sugar. Just enough to lightly sweeten the streusel.
Salt. A pinch to sharpen the flavors.
Butter. Cold, cubed butter to create a coarse, sandy crumble.
Pistachios. Finely ground, for extra nuttiness and texture.
To Finish
Raspberries. Scattered over the frangipane before baking.
Powdered Sugar. For dusting once baked.
A Few Things to Know
I like to partially bake the crust before filling. It helps keep the base tender and crisp beneath the frangipane, especially once the fruit begins to soften and release its juices.
While I’ve paired this tart with raspberries here, pistachio frangipane is wonderfully flexible. Strawberries in early summer, plums later on, or even figs when they’re at their peak all work beautifully.
Pistachio and Raspberry Frangipane Tart
Description
Adapted from Thali Ho
Ingredients
Tart Dough
1 1/2 cup (180g) all purpose flour
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp (50g) powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
8 tbsp (115 g) unsalted butter
1 large egg yolk
1-2 tablespoons iced water
Pistachio Frangipane
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (125 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (125 g) sugar
1 1/4 cup (165 g) ground pistachio
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or 1 tsp extract
1/8 tsp of almond extract- optional
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
Streusel
50 grams flour
1 tbsp sugar
A pinch of salt
30 grams butter , cold and cubbed
2 tbsp ground pistachio
1 cup raspberries
Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
Make the Tart Dough
- To make the pastry, place the flour, sugar, salt, and butter into the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture forms that of a coarse meal, about 20 to 30 seconds. Add in the egg yolk and water. Pulse, until the mixture is just beginning to come together and forms a soft dough ball around the base of the blade, 20 to 30 more seconds. Place the ball of dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap, then, flatten into a rough disc shape. Cover and chill for at least an hour.
- Roll out the tart dough
Take dough out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for a few minutes to soften slightly. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin into an 11-inch circle, then place gently into a fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press into the base and into the edges, trimming off the excess dough. With a fork, prick it all over, to prevent the crust from puffing up as it bakes. Freeze for one hour. - Preheat the oven to 350. Place a piece of parchment or foil on top of the crust, covering the edges to prevent them from burning. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool while you prepare the filling.
Make the Pistachio Streusel
- In a small bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Add in the butter. Use your fingers to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until fine crumbs form, then, using a slightly greater amount of pressure, squeeze the mixture together until large clumps have formed. Add in the ground pistachios. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
Make the Pistachio Frangipane
- Grind the pistachios finely and set aside.
- Place the butter, sugar and vanilla bean paste into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment. Beat, on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Set the mixer speed to medium-low. Add in the ground pistachios, flour, salt and almond extract. Beat until just combined, about a minute. Increase the mixer speed back to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 3 minutes more. Set aside for assembly.
Assemble the Tart
- Spread the frangipane evenly over the tart base. Stud the tart with raspberries and sprinkle with strudel. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the frangipane is set and the tart is golden. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack before removing from the tin.
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