Blackberry Frangipane Tarts
Whip up a batch of blackberry frangipane tarts fit for royalty! The tart shells are filled with a blackberry frangipane and a layer of blackberry coulis. Decorate the mini tarts with fresh blackberries and a touch of edible gold leaf for an elegant finish.
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The Brief
My source of inspiration for this recipe was actually Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas. In the novel, Aelin reminisced about eating blackberry tarts as a child in the royal court. Another character, Elide, forages for berries while she is on the run. Between these two, I felt that blackberry frangipane tarts were a good recipe to pair with this book.
In order to create a blackberry tart fit for nobility, I actually spent several hours researching recipes and came up with a complex tart with seven different elements. My schedule disagreed with this, so I paired it down to 4 elements. Things did not go according to plan…
The Blunders
For these blackberry frangipane tarts, I attempted a blackberry cremeux. It ended up being a tiny amount, super thick, and it set up like concrete. My plan of decorative piping with the cremeux on top was just not going to happen.
Problem is, without a topping, my blackberry frangipane tarts were going to look a little too similar to my blueberry tarts (another SJM inspiration). When poop hits the fan, you have to stay calm and work with what you’ve got. So I added a touch of edible gold to my decorative blackberries. It added enough visual interest that I felt the two tarts were distinct enough.
The Tart Shells
You can use either tart rings (my preference) or mini tart pans in this recipe. Since I don’t have enough tart rings, I use both to use up all of my dough in one go. The tart rings produce a better looking bake, while the tartlet pans can have some wonky bottoms.
For a visual on how to make the pate sucree and line both tart rings and tartlet pans, watch the recipe video for my blueberry tarts. This time around, I found that a children’s bowl from IKEA that I bought about a decade ago was the perfect size to line my small tart pans.
The Blackberry Frangipane
This was my first time making frangipane, and I’m happy to share that it’s totes easy to do. Frangipane is like a simple almond cake batter that is used in tarts and pastries. You’ll cream butter and sugar, add the egg, then mix in your almond flour. No sweat.
In order to make these blackberry frangipane tarts, we’re adding 3 blackberry halves (that’s 1.5 berries each) to each tart before baking. Pipe a thin layer of the frangipane into unbaked tart shells (it’ll puff up like cake), place the blackberry halves in the frangipane, then bake until lightly golden brown. Whole blackberries were just too big and stuck out above the coulis, hence halving them.
Related Reading: Honey, Goat Cheese, and Pistachio Tart
The Blackberry Coulis
I love a fruit coulis because it’s so dang easy to make and brings so much fresh, fruity flavor to a bake. In this recipe, we’re using frozen blackberries. Not only is it much cheaper (for me at least), but you don’t have to worry about blackberries being in season.
To save on time, I made this blackberry coulis the day before making the blackberry frangipane tarts. Of course, the coulis sets up in the fridge overnight, but I gently reheated the bowl (microwave on 50% or over a double boiler) until the coulis was loose and pourable again. After chilling, it sets up just fine a second time!
The Tools
Tart Rings – These perforated rings create very elegant tarts. The perforated rings allow for air flow which means even baking and no wonky bulges in the tart shell.
Mini Tart Pans – I find these to be more common, and they work well in this recipe. However, the enclosed pan doesn’t allow for as much air flow. This results in some tart bottoms being wonky and not flat.
Perforated Baking Mat – Another great way to increase air flow. The mat lifts the tarts up slightly and allows the air to circulate under them as they bake.
Baking Sheet – I like to use USA Pans. The design allows for, you guessed it, better air flow around the tarts.
Immersion Blender – Blending the blackberry coulis maximizes the flavor and juicy goodness we can get out of the berries. A food processor would work as well.
The Blackberry Frangipane Tarts
What matters most is, how did they taste? Amazing! The crisp tart shell almost tastes like a shortbread cookie with soft almond cake, blackberries, and the luxurious blackberry sauce on top. A perfect balance of flavors and textures.
Per usual, I sent in some of these blackberry frangipane tarts to my husband’s work. They were well received and the edible gold leaf was a hit. While these mini tarts look so sophisticated, they aren’t actually too difficult to make. It just takes time.
Enjoy!
I suggest bringing these blackberry frangipane tarts to your book club when y’all meet to discuss Empire of Storms. And for my tandem readers out there, you’ll want this cookie recipe for Tower of Dawn. Send this recipe to your book bestie to make plans!
Thanks for stopping by Bakes & Blunders today. I hope you enjoy this recipe <3
Blackberry Frangipane Tarts
Ingredients
Almond Pate Sucree
- 113 g unsalted butter cold and cubed
- 70 g powdered sugar sifted
- 1 egg
- 60 g almond flour
- Pinch of salt
- 230 g all purpose flour
Blackberry Frangipane
- 100 g unsalted butter softened
- 100 g sugar
- 1 egg
- 100 g almond flour
- 16- 22 blackberries plus more for topping
Blackberry Coulis
- 1 tsp unflavored gelatin
- 1 Tbsp cold water
- 400 g frozen blackberries
- 75 g sugar
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
Almond Pate Sucree
- Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on a medium low speed until smooth.
- Scrape the bowl down and add the egg. Mix on a low speed just until the egg starts to incorporate, but is not fully combined.
- Scrape the bowl down. Add the almond flour and salt to the stand mixer. Beat on a medium low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape the bowl down.
- Add the flour and beat on low until only just combined. A few streaks of flour okay. If needed, finish mixing the dough by hand with a spatula.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions. Wrap them in cling wrap and chill in the fridge for 10- 15 minutes.
- Place one portion of dough in between two sheets or parchment paper. Roll the dough out to 2mm (1/16 in), or slightly thinner. Place the dough (still between the paper) flat in the freezer. Repeat this step with the other portion of dough. Freeze the two dough sheets for 20- 30 minutes.
- Take out one portion of the frozen dough out of the freezer and remove the top layer of the paper. Use a tart ring to cut out circles, one per tart ring. With the help of a small offset spatula, remove each circle of dough from the parchment paper and line a tart ring on a baking sheet or tray line with wax or parchment paper.
- Gently press any dough scraps together, wrap in cling wrap, and chill in the fridge. Place the baking sheet in the fridge while you work with the next portion of dough.
- Take out the second portion of the frozen dough out of the freezer and remove the top layer of the paper. Cut the dough into strips that are long enough to line the tart rings (about 10 inches) and wide enough to be taller than the tart ring (about 1 inch).
- Take the baking sheet with the tart rings out of the fridge. Working quickly and carefully, use a small offset spatula to remove a strip of dough from the paper and line the inside of the tart ring. Gently press the two pieces of dough together to seal the seam together.
- Gently press any dough scraps together, wrap in cling wrap, and chill in the fridge. Place the baking sheet back in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Double check that the tart dough is adhered to the sides of the tart ring and the seam is sealed. Use a sharp knife to trim off the excess dough that extends above the ring. Gently press any dough scraps together, wrap in cling wrap, and chill in the fridge.
- Use a fork to poke a bunch of small holes in the bottom of the tart. This will prevent the tart shell from puffing up when they bake.
- Gently roll the dough scraps out between two pieces of parchment paper. Repeat the process of freezing and cutting out tart shells. For my second batch of tart shells, I used mini tart pans instead of tart rings.
- Place the baking sheet in the fridge again for 15 minutes. Now you can start making the frangipane.
Blackberry Frangipane
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a baking sheet or two with a perforated silicone baking mat.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3- 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl down.
- Add the egg and beat on low until just about combined. If needed, scrape the bowl down once or twice.
- Scrape the bowl again, then add the almond flour. Mix on a low speed until combined.
- Transfer the frangipane to a piping bag. Cut off the tip or use a 12 piping tip. Pipe a thin layer (about 20g of batter) into the bottom of each tart shell.
- Slice blackberries in half lengthwise and place 3- 4 halves into each tart. Press gently, but firmly so that they sink into the frangipane and are not taller than the edge of the tart.
- Place the tarts on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the frangipane is a light golden brown and set, about 25 minutes. If the tarts don't fit on one tray, keep them covered in the fridge until the first batch is done baking.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Once all of the tarts are baked and have cooled a bit, begin making the blackberry coulis.
Blackberry Coulis
- Combine the gelatin and water in a small bowl. Mix well to ensure there are no lumps. Set aside to bloom.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the blackberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Cook on a medium low heat for several minutes to prevent the sugar from burning. Gradually increase the heat to medium high.
- Bring the mixture just to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Stir constantly and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes. The mixture should be thickened, most of the blackberries should be mush, and it should be glossy.
- Use an immersion blender or food processor to puree the blackberry mixture until smooth. Pour through a sieve into a bowl. Push all of the liquid and juices out of the sieve, discard the pulp and seeds.
- Add the bloomed gelatin to the hot blackberry sauce. Stir until the gelatin has melted completely. At this point, the mixture should be warm, but not very hot.
- Carefully spoon or pipe the blackberry coulis into the frangipane tart shells. There should be enough to fill the tart shells to the top.
- Chill in the fridge for at least two hours, longer is better. Once the coulis is set, you can decorate the tarts with any extra fresh blackberries.
Notes
- Work quickly when working with the tart dough. If it gets too soft at any point, put it back in the fridge for a few minutes.
- The filled tarts will keep in the fridge for about 3 days, but they will soften slightly.
Colleen
Hi there! I’m Colleen, a novice baker with a passion for learning and improving my bakes… and blunders. On Bakes and Blunders, you can find all sorts of tasty recipes that range in difficulty, but most importantly, I’ll try to explain the reason behind important steps. If you know why a recipe works, you can tweak and adapt it to suit your unique tastes, and you’ll be able to reliably produce some very delicious treats. If you love baking and want to expand and grow your skills, or if you are a casual baker and just need some pointers, my blog is right up your alley! Join me on my baking journey and we’ll learn how to make more impressive recipes together.
