Goodness gracious that is quite the mouthful.
The first time I made this tart, it was perhaps one of my worst ever fails. It was bad folks. The crust was the only good part. The frangipane was burned, the cream was lumpy and fully turned to a liquid when I went to put it on top, and the blackberries were too wet and turned pasty.
But it just goes to show how much a few little alterations changes a dessert. Because now we have an elegant, delicate, wintry, and festive tart!
Ok before I get any further into the tart, we need to talk about this month. It’s moving at the speed of sound, but also how is it only now December 11th? I thought we were closer. But also that means Christmas is in 14 days which is crazy. I have a week and a half of school before we get out, but I feel like it might kill me. I mean this time of year is always stressful and cramped, but I fully fell asleep on the car ride to school yesterday. If days have to feel like they’re taking an eternity, shouldn’t that mean I at least get an eternity to get my work done?
But that’s nothing new. As perviously stated, December is always insane and it affects everyone. So I guess that’s a comfort, that we’re all struggling together. And on the brightest of bright sides, after all this we get two whole entire weeks of freedom! Hot chocolate! Cookies galore! Cozy reading in the most atrocious pajamas! Rejoice!
Just think those thoughts and we’ll get through these awful two weeks together. Oh, also get some fuzzy socks. I hear they’re scientifically proven to help reduce stress.
Anyway, let’s get back on track. Tart. I feel like tarts are kind of overlooked. They sort of hide in the shadow of cakes and pies. But today the spotlights are aimed towards the tart.
Describe This Tart to Me
Taste: Something I love about this tart is that it’s not excessively festive. Peppermint tarts have their place but this tart is unique in it’s subtle wintery flavors. The cream is sweet and light, but packed with spices and a dash of rum so that it tastes just like eggnog. The buttery and flakey crust perfectly compliments the sweet and zingy almond frangipane with wintry rosemary and ginger. With the sweet sugared berries on top, all the flavors really do mix perfectly.
Texture: Like all good bakes, this one has a variety of textures. The crust is perfectly flakey and buttery, while the filling is denser and packed with flavor. The cream and sugared berries add this refreshing element to help break through the filling and crust, while still complimenting the flavors.
Ease: To be honest, this tart is not the easiest. There are a whole lot of steps, but if you plan it all out and keep everything organized, it should to come together. The cream is the hardest and takes the longest, but as long as you don’t overcook the custard, it should be relatively smooth sailing. The crust is a simple one bowl recipe that bakes up quickly and easily. The frangipane filling also comes together about as quickly as a classic cookie recipe.
The Crust
The crust is honestly one of my favorite parts of this recipe because it is so simple but just so good. It’s made from only flour, salt, butter, and buttermilk. This creates a flakey and buttery crust that can support the filling and toppings.
The Frangipane
Now I know this is another one of those words that sounds real fancy but frangipane is’s sort of just a nut custard if you will. It’s made from egg yolks and sugar and such, and ground up almonds and rosemary will form a thick paste that we’ll bake up with the crust. Finally, the whole thing will be topped and served.
Creme Diplomat
Ok I know creme diplomat sounds real scary but let’s just break it down. It’s just a mix of pastry cream, which is a thick custard, and whipped cream. For this recipe, the pastry cream is infused with eggnog spices and rum for the perfect festive tart. But instead of a classic chanitilly cream (whipped cream) this recipe uses stabilized whipped cream which has gelatin mixed in so that it holds it’s shape. The two folded together create a stable and flavorful cream, that adds a levity to the dense frangipane filling.
The Sugared Berries
Sugared berries are one of my favorite things to use as decoration this time of year because it looks like snow. But for this recipe, the sugared berries aren’t only for looks. The blackberries add a refreshing fruitiness that breaks up the sweeter frangipane. Although not a typical winter berry, they perfectly compliment the rosemary, almond, and spices. To make them, the berries are simply cooked in a simple syrup and then tossed in granulated sugar
Rosemary Almond Frangipane Tart With Eggnog Creme Diplomat
Ingredients
Method
- In a medium sized heat safe bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cornstarch. It should be a very thick consistency at first but as you keep whisking it should come together.
- In a large saucepan, whisk together the whole milk, granulated sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and rum over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking occasionally. Once simmering, remove roughly ½ cup of the milk mixture and slowly stream it into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Then, stream this mixture through a sieve back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Continue to cook on medium high heat until the mixture starts to bubble on top. Once bubbling, let the custard cook for 30 seconds without stirring. Then, stir it again before letting it cook untouched for another 30 seconds. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla bean paste. The pastry cream should be a thick pudding like consistency at this point. Let the cream cool in the saucepan for 10 minutes before transferring to a heat proof mixing bowl. Cover with cling wrap, making sure it touches the surface of the custard. Let the custard chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours while we prepare the rest of the tart.
- In a large bowl, toss together the flour and salt. Then, using a pastry cutter, cut in the cold cubed butter until it forms small pea sized crumbles. Add the buttermilk and use a spatula or a wooden spoon to bring the dough together. You may need to add a little more buttermilk, but it's okay if it has some dry spots. It shouldn't be sticky.
- Place the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll it out into a 12 inch circle. Carefully transfer that to a 9 inch tart pan. Use your finger to press it into the pans bottom and sides. Cut excess off of the edges if necessary. Place in the refrigerator to firm up for 40 minutes.
- Grind up the almonds and rosemary in a food processor until they reach a texture slightly coarser than almond flour. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using either a stand or hand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy and smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Mix in the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Add the almond flour, salt, ginger, and the ground up almonds, mixing until combined. It should be a somewhat pasty consistency. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Spread the filling evenly into the chilled pie crust. Place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- Bake the chilled tart for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Allow the tart to cool completely before topping with the cream.
- Place ¾ cup of sugar in a large shallow bowl. Set aside. In a medium sized saucepan set over medium heat, mix together 1 cup of sugar and the water. Cook until the sugar has completely dissolved. Once dissolved, add the blackberries to the syrup and toss them to make sure they are all evenly coated before pouring the mixture through a sieve into a bowl. The syrup should now be in a bowl and the blackberries should be in the sieve. You don't want the blackberries to sit in the syrup for longer than 30 seconds. Toss the syrup soaked blackberries in the granulated sugar in the shallow bowl until evenly combined. Pour them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to dry. Dip the rosemary sprigs in the sugar syrup until evenly coated, and then toss in the sugar on the baking sheet. Let the rosemary and blackberries dry before using them on the tart.
- Once the custard has chilled, make the stabilized whipped cream. Place the cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, or until the gelatin absorbs the water and is thick. Then microwave the mixture in 5 second increments until you are left with a thick, clear, syrupy mixture. Set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cream on high speed to soft peaks. Soft peaks means when you lift the whisk out of the bowl, the cream should just barely hold it's shape. Turn the mixer down to low speed and very slowly stream in the cooled gelatin mixture. Then turn the speed up to high and whip to stiff peaks. Make sure you don't over whip this!
- Remove the custard from the fridge and whisk until smooth again. It will be very thick. Carefully fold the custard into the stabilized whipped cream until just combined. Scoop the creme diplomat into a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe little dollops all around the cooled tart. Top with the sugared blackberries and rosemary. Let the tart chill for 30 minutes before slicing and serving. Tart stays fresh covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.