Serves8
- Active time:30 min
- Start to finish:4 hr (plus 1 day for macerating fruit; includes making pastry)
November 2008
When steeped overnight in a grappa syrup, dried fruits plump up with juices that infuse a moist, cakey almond filling in a golden crust.
For dried-fruit compote
-
2/3
cup
grappa (preferably Julia brand)
-
3 1/2
tablespoons
sugar
-
1/2
cup
pitted prunes, halved
-
1/3
cup
dried cherries
-
1/3
cup
dried California (Pacific) apricots
For frangipane filling
-
7
oz
almond paste (not marzipan; about 1 cup)
-
1/2
stick unsalted butter, softened
-
3
tablespoons
sugar
-
1/8
teaspoon
pure almond extract
-
1/2
teaspoon
salt
-
2
large eggs
-
3
tablespoons
all-purpose flour
Make dried-fruit compote:
-
Heat grappa with sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring, until sugar has dissolved.
-
Add fruit and gently simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and let macerate, stirring occasionally, 24 hours.
Make tart shell:
-
Set flan ring on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. (If using a tart pan, parchment is not necessary.)
-
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round, then fit into flan ring and trim excess dough. Chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.
-
Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
-
Lightly prick bottom of shell all over with a fork, then line with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until side is set and edge is pale golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove foil and weights and bake until bottom is golden, about 10 minutes more. Cool completely in pan, about 30 minutes. Leave oven on.
Make frangipane filling and bake tart:
-
Beat almond paste, butter, sugar, extract, and salt in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in flour.
-
Spread frangipane filling in cooled shell. Drain fruit in a sieve set over a bowl, reserving syrup, and scatter fruit over filling, pressing in slightly. Bake until puffed and golden, 30 to 40 minutes.
-
Transfer tart on parchment to a rack. Brush reserved syrup over tart and cool to warm or room temperature.
Cooks’ notes: - Dried fruit can be macerated up to 3 days.
- Tart shell can be baked 1 day ahead and kept (once cool), wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature.
- Tart is best eaten the day it is baked but can be made 1 day ahead and kept (once cool), covered with foil, at room temperature.
- We’ve also got a web-exclusive recipe using the leftover dried apricots.
