Paleo Pistachio Frangipane Tart
Dairy-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free
When you want to feel like you are in the Great British Baking Show tent, this is what you can make. But you do not have to face Paul Hollywood.
I am not sure if I am the only one, but for me, the ultimate comfort is watching the Great British Baking Show on repeat. I am an anglophile, but also just find the civilized competition and talk of biscuits and tarts to be very soothing. Ever since I spent a semester of college in London, I have loved every piece of British culture (especially Idris Elba).
Well, when watching the pastry episode, the bakers had to make a Bakewell tart, which is a combination of raspberry jam and frangipane in a short crust tart shell. Frangipane is not all that popular in the states but I love it. No, it is not the same thing as marzipan. A combination of sugar, almond flour, regular flour, eggs and almond extract, frangipane is very simple and oh so delicious, So why not try to make it without the dairy, grains, and refined sugar?
This tart took a wee bit of time to get it right, but the result is something that is not too sweet, gloriously nutty and adaptable for all seasons. One thing that is incredibly helpful with this recipe: a scale. I have said it before, but really the only way to get exact results is by using weight-based measurements versus volume (cups, etc). I have two, both are OXO (not sponsored), that work perfectly and are not too expensive (one is $29 and the other, steel version, is $49).
As usual, let’s get into the ingredients.
Tahini
I will not tell you how many times I tried to make this grain-free crust, trying out different combinations of fats and flours. I made this recipe before with just coconut oil and found that it didn’t really have a lot of flavor. But with the tahini, the flavor gets boosted and it almost tastes buttery. Tahini, a sesame seed paste, has an ironically nutty flavor that just works wonders in baked goods. I know I ramble on about it all the time, but it is really worth trying in your baked goods.
If you do not have tahini, you can try a very runny almond butter. If your nut butter is thicker, it will affect the texture of the resulting crust.
Coconut Oil
When it comes to paleo baking, coconut oil is the darling of the fats. In general though, it is a great fat to work with. It has a fairly high smoke point (how high it can be heated before smoking/setting on fire) and is a pure fat. This means that baked goods stay moist (cringe at that word) and delicate. I prefer to use refined coconut oil, simply because I do not like the coconut flavor that the virgin one imparts.
For the crust, you will notice that I melt the coconut oil, which is contrary to the traditional method of making a crust by cutting the fat into the flour. I realize this seems weird, but trust me on it. The recipe is more like a cut-out sugar cookies than a traditional short crust.
For the frangipane, I do not melt the coconut oil. The food processor is going to produce heat that will soften the coconut oil and help it blend in with the pistachios, almond and tapioca flours. It helps if the coconut oil is solid, but soft, If your coconut oil is very hard (depends on the temperature of where you keep it), you may need to blend it a little longer in the food processor before adding the eggs.
Toasted Coconut
I realize that this is a little weird of an ingredient to add to frangipane. No, it is not traditional, but there is a reason for it. When frangipane is made with regular flour, full sugar and dairy, it is a bit crumbly. I do love a little bit of crumble, but when you are not using grains, the tendency to crumble seems to go up (I sound like a total nerd). The role of the toasted coconut is two-fold. First, the flavor of toasted coconut is almost brown butter like. The natural sugars in the coconut caramelize and your kitchen smells better than any scented candle. Speaking of those sugars, adding coconut also adds sweetness. So, you not need to add more maple sugar to the batter.
The second reason for toasted coconut is a binding agent. If you have ever worked with coconut flour, you will know just how absorptive it is. It is basically a sponge. The fats from the almond flour, the pistachios as well as the coconut oil all lead to a soft, crumbly frangipane, but it needs to keep its shape. Rather than adding more tapioca flour, which can make things dense and chewy, the coconut binds while keeping the frangipane light and delish.
When you buy shredded coconut, make sure that it is not sweetened and does not contain any stabilizers. Do not use coconut flakes. The flakes won’t fully break down in the food processor.
RECIPE
For the Crust:
205g (1.5 cups, packed) superfine almond flour
23g (3 tbsp) tapioca flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder (this is optional; I have made it with and without)
23g (2 tbsp) coconut sugar
35g (about 2 tbsp) maple syrup
33g (2 tbsp) tahini
43g (2 tbsp) coconut oil, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
10g (1 tbsp) warm water
For the Frangipane:
72g (about 1 cup) pistachios (I used salted, which is why I did not add salt)
68g (1 cup) almond flour
67g (1/2 cup) tapioca flour
50g (1/2 cup) toasted, shredded coconut (no, you cannot sub coconut flour)
77g (1/2 cup) maple sugar (you can use coconut sugar too)
100g coconut oil, at room temperature
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract (you can go less if you are not a big fan of almond
Optional: 1/2 tsp pistachio extract (this is hard to find, but boosts that pistachio goodness).
For topping:
Pitted and sliced plumots.
(Really, you can use any stone fruit. You could use thinly sliced apple, figs, or just leave it without the fruit)
Maple syrup for glazing after baking
Let’s make the crust first. In a large bowl combine the flours, salt, baking powder (if using), and the coconut sugar. Make sure you get any lumps in the almond flour out. In a small bowl, combine the melted coconut oil, tahini, maple syrup, egg and water. Whisk until it is smooth and then pour into the dry ingredients. I know this seems like a weird way to make a crust, but trust me.
Mix together. It will form a stiff dough that resembles cut-out sugar cookie dough. Cover and put in the fridge to chill for at least an hour. You can make this dough a few days ahead of time too.
And now, the filling. Frangipane. In the bowl of a food processor, add the pistachios, almond flour, tapioca flour, and toasted coconut. Pulse on high speed until the mix looks like a cohesive flour. You mostly just want to get rid of any big chunks of pistachio.
Add the maple sugar and pulse again to mix in. Now, using your finger, dollop the solid coconut oil around the bowl of the food processor. Pulse again to combine the coconut oil and flour mix. It will start to look like a pie dough after you added the butter. Now it is egg time. Add the eggs and almond extract and pulse on high until you have a sticky pistachio mixture (and all the egg is mixed in).
Time to assemble the tart! First, preheat your oven to 350F and liberally grease a tart pan with coconut oil and line the bottom with parchment. If you do not have a tart pan, you can use a pie dish or a spring form pan.
Take the crust dough out of the fridge. Sandwich it between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and roll out until it is about 1/8 of an inch thick. You want it to be thin, but do not worry about getting the perfect shape.
Transfer the rolled-out crust dough into the tart pan and using a little nub of dough, press it into all the little fluted edges. If there are any cracks, use the extra dough to fill it in. It is kinda like playing with play-doh. Once your dough is all in there nicely, use a fork to prick holes in the bottom. This keeps the bottom from bubbling up while baking.
I do not blind bake this (meaning I do not bake the unfilled shell before adding the frangipane), but if you are very worried about a soggy bottom, you can. Mary Berry will appreciate it.
Dollop the frangipane mixture into the tart shell and use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it around the shell evenly. Then add your sliced fruit and lightly press the slices into the frangipane. If you are feeling fancy, sprinkle some more coconut sugar over the top with a little dusting of ground cinnamon. Place the filled tart shell on a baking sheet (just to protect your oven from any dripping bits).
Bake for 30-35 minutes. You want the edges of the filling to be just golden brown. Remove the tart from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Now, pour about 2 tablespoons of maple syrup into a small, heatproof bowl and heat it slightly. Use a pastry brush (or a small kitchen towel) to glaze the tart.
You are done! This tart keeps very well in the fridge for up to a week. It is delish cold out of the fridge. Or you can heat it up slightly and put some coconut ice cream on top.