Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Basil Galette

• A simple, no-fuss French dessert anyone can master.
• A flaky, buttery homemade crust (pâte brisée).
• A fresh and unique pairing of strawberries and basil.
• Perfect for summer entertaining, picnics, or casual desserts.
• Easily adaptable (including a nut-free option).

Ingredients for this Strawberry Basil Galette

For the Galette crust

• Flour. All-purpose flour works perfectly here, giving the crust just the right balance of structure and tenderness.
• Salt. Just a pinch enhances the overall flavor of the dough.
• Butter. Use cold, unsalted butter cut into small cubes. For best results, I like to cube the butter ahead of time and chill it in the fridge for at least an hour before baking. Keeping the butter very cold is key to achieving a flaky, tender crust.
• Water. You’ll need about ¼ cup (60 ml) of ice-cold water to bring the dough together. Add it gradually, one tablespoon (15 ml) at a time, you may not need it all.

For the filling

• Almond flour. A light layer is sprinkled over the crust before adding the fruit. It helps absorb excess juices during baking, keeping the base crisp rather than soggy.
• Fresh basil.  Thinly sliced basil is mixed with the almond flour, adding a delicate, slightly floral note that pairs beautifully with the strawberries.
• Strawberries.  Choose fresh, ripe, in-season strawberries. Hull them and slice them thickly (rather than quartering) so they bake evenly and stay tender.
• Sugar. I like to toss the strawberries with about ¼ cup (50g) of sugar before assembling. This not only enhances their natural sweetness but also helps create a thicker, more cohesive filling, so your galette slices cleanly instead of being too runny.

How to Make a Strawberry Basil Galette (Step-by-Step)

1. Make the dough – Combine flour, salt, and cold butter until crumbly. Add ice water gradually, then form into a disk and chill.
2. Prepare the filling – Toss strawberries with sugar. In a separate bowl, mix almond flour and basil.
3. Assemble the galette – Roll out the dough into a rough circle. Add almond-basil mixture, top with strawberries, and fold the edges over.
4. Bake – Brush edges with egg wash and bake until golden, crisp, and bubbling.

My best tips for a strawberry Galette:

Here are a few more tips before you start making this galette.

• Keep everything cold: Using cold butter and ice-cold water is essential for a successful dough. Cold butter stays firm as it’s worked into the flour, creating small pockets that result in a flaky, tender crust. Ice-cold water helps bring the dough together without melting the butter.
• Chill the dough: Let the pâte brisée rest in the fridge for at least 20–30 minutes before rolling it out. If it feels too firm straight from the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes until it softens slightly and becomes easier to handle.
• Don’t worry about cracks: If the dough cracks when folding it over the filling, simply dampen your fingers with a little lukewarm water and gently press the cracks together to seal them. Rustic is part of the charm of a galette.
• Leave enough border: When adding the filling, leave about a 2-inch (5 cm) border around the edges. This makes it easier to fold the dough over the fruit.
• Keep it as flat as possible: Arrange the strawberries in a single, even layer so they bake uniformly.
• Make it nut-free: If you’d like a nut-free version, swap the almond flour for all-purpose flour or rolled oats. Both options will still help absorb excess juices while baking.

Galette FAQs:

Can you make galette dough ahead of time?

Yes! The dough can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept refrigerated. You can also freeze it for up to 1 month.

Why is my strawberry galette watery?

This usually happens if the fruit is layered too thick. Keep the fruit in a single layer for best results.

Can I use frozen strawberries?

Potentially yes, but thaw and drain them well first to avoid excess moisture.

This Strawberry Basil Galette is everything I love about French home baking: simple ingredients, seasonal fruit, and a rustic finish that never tries too hard.

If you enjoy rustic French baking, you might also love:

• Classic French Strawberry Tart
• French Plum Tart (Tarte aux prunes)
• Alsatian Blueberry Tart 
• Blueberry Peach Galette 
• Classic Apple Tart Tatin 
• Normandy Apple Tart 
• Classic French Fruit Tart 
• Apricot Frangipane Tart 
• Peach Crème Fraiche Streusel Tart
• Blueberry Bundt Cake (Tourte aux Myrtilles)
• Gâteau Basque (Basque Cake with pastry cream)

Strawberry Basil Galette

Print Recipe

Serves: 8 Prep Time: 1 Hour Cooking Time: 45 Minutes 45 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

For the "Pâte Brisée"crust:
1 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
¾ cup (170g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
¼ cup to 1/3 cup (50ml to 78ml) ice-cold water

For the base:
½ cup almond meal
A handful (7-8 leaves) of fresh basil, chiffonade

For the filling:
4 cups fresh strawberries, cut into large slices. (about 1 ½ lb)
¼ cup sugar

1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon of milk

Instructions

1. Make the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the cold cubed butter and work it into the flour using your fingertips (or a pastry cutter) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with small bits of butter still visible.
   Gradually add the ice-cold water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing just until the dough comes together. Shape into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 20–30 minutes.
2. Prepare the filling. In a bowl, gently toss the strawberries with sugar. Set aside.
   In a small bowl, mix together with your fingers the ground almond with chopped basil, so it’s well combined.
3. Roll out the dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a rough 12-inch circle. Transfer it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. If the dough feels too firm, let it sit for 5–10 minutes until it softens slightly; it will be much easier to roll. Pre-heat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
4. Assemble the Galette.  Sprinkle the basil and ground almonds over the center of the dough, leaving about a 2-inch border.
   Arrange the strawberry mixture in a single, even layer over the almonds. Fold the edges of the dough over the fruit, pleating as you go. Don’t worry if the dough cracks slightly: just dip your fingers in a bit of water and gently smooth it back together.
5. Bake. In a small bowl, whisk together with the egg yolk and milk, and brush the edges of the galette.
   Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 35–40 minutes, until the crust is golden and the fruit is bubbling.
   Let cool completely before slicing and serving.

The post Strawberry Basil Galette (Easy French Galette Recipe) appeared first on Pardon Your French.

What is a French Plum Tart (Tarte aux prunes)?

A French Plum Tart is a delightful way to showcase the flavor of fresh plums and is a popular dessert during the plum season in late Summer. This rustic tart is made with a buttery Pâte Brisée (French pastry crust) filled with seasonal plums. Once baked, the plums turn utterly jammy, which is the main appeal of this tart!

In France, this tart often highlights local plum varieties such as Quetches or Mirabelles, which are smaller and sweeter than the plums commonly found elsewhere. However, don’t worry if you can’t find these specific varieties as any plums you love will work beautifully to bring this delightful treat to life in your own kitchen.

Ingredients you’ll need for this French Plum Tart recipe

This plum tart recipe is simple yet delightful, featuring a very simple filling of almond flour, seasonal plums, and a sprinkle of sugar. The most time-consuming step, though not difficult, is making the homemade crust – which is well worth the effort, trust me here! This tart recipe uses a classic “pâte brisée” crust. Read along for the ingredients and my tips!  

For the crust:

1. Flour. All-purpose flour is the way to go.
2. Salt. A pinch of salt to heighten the flavors.
3. Butter. Use cold, cubed, unsalted butter for best results in this crust recipe. I like to cube the butter, lay the cubes on a plate and stick the plate back into the fridge for at least 1 hour before I start making the crust. This ensures the butter cubes are perfectly cold when they’re added to the flour.
4. Water. About ¼ cup (60ml) of ice-cold water is needed to bind the ingredients together. You may need a little less, so add the water one tablespoon (15ml) at a time.

For the filling:

1. Plums. Seasonal, ripe plums are the star of the tart. They are sliced in quarters and arranged in a decorative pattern on the tart shell. Any variety of your liking works here, but you can read my notes below (in the FAQ) for which varieties I most recommend. When shopping for plums to make a tart, choose them slightly soft but blemish-free and wrinkle-free.
2. Almond flour. Almond flour is sprinkled over the bottom of the tart to absorb the juices from the fruits and ensure the crust remains crisp. This also adds a nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with the plums.
3. Cane sugar. Cane sugar is sprinkled generously over the plums just before baking. I like at least 4 tablespoons to cut through the tartness of the plums. But you can use a bit less if you want.

About Pâte Brisée

If you’re a regular on this blog, you’re likely familiar with Pâte Brisée! This classic French pastry is a staple in many French recipes, whether for savory quiches or fruit tarts.

Pâte Brisée is a simple pastry crust made from just flour, salt, butter, and a splash of water. The water encourages gluten development in the flour, making Pâte Brisée sturdier and less crumbly compared to other French pastry crusts like Pâte Sucrée or Pâte Sablée.

This crust is easy to work with: it’s malleable, easy to roll out, and lays smoothly in the bottom of your tart pan. Its sturdiness makes it an ideal choice for holding soft fillings, such as baked fruits.

Pâte Brisée doesn’t contain eggs or sugar, making it neither sweet nor salty. This neutrality makes it incredibly versatile, perfect for both sweet and savory tarts or pies. Its mild flavor allows the taste of the filling, especially fruits, to shine through.

One of the best things I love about Pâte Brisée is its forgiving nature. If it tears while you’re rolling it out, you can easily patch it up with a few drops of water. This makes it a great option for bakers of all skill levels!

Tips for a great Pâte Brisée”

Although this is a simple pastry crust recipe, here are my 3 favorite tips to ensure your Pâte brisée is a success!

• It is essential to use cold butter and ice-cold water to make the dough. Cold butter – not room temperature – will distribute into the flour without softening. And ice-cold water will bind the ingredients together without softening the butter. This ensures little bits of butter are still present in the dough once rolled out, which makes for a most tender baked Pâte Brisée. 

• Do not overmix the dough: stop mixing when it just comes together into a rough ball. Otherwise, your crust likely will end up too tough once baked. 

• The Pâte Brisée needs to be chilled at least 20 minutes before being rolled out. If the dough is too cold and firm when trying to roll it out, let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes. It will warm up slightly and become easier to roll out. If the dough cracks a bit when you roll it out or transfer it into the pan, do not fret. You can simply wet your fingers lightly under lukewarm water and “rub” the cracks to bind the dough back together. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best plum varieties for baking?

Commercially grown plums in the US fall under 2 main categories: European (prunus domestica) and Japanese (prunus salicina). And you can find more than 300 plum varieties under these two categories!

When making a plum tart, it’s important to choose varieties that hold their shape and offer a good balance of sweetness and tartness. Here are some of my recommendations for the best plum varieties for baking a tart:

• Damson. The Damson plum is a smaller-size European variety that has a blueberry-like purple hue. These small, tart plums are ideal for baking, providing a nice balance to the sweetness of the tart.
• Black Amber.These plums have a sweet flavor with a hint of tartness and a firm texture that holds up well during baking.
• Santa Rosa. Juicy and sweet with a slightly tart skin, Santa Rosa plums hold up well in baking
• Italian Prune Plums (Stanley). These plums are firm and sweet, with a dense flesh that doesn’t become too mushy when baked.
• Elephant heart. Known for their deep red flesh and rich flavor, these plums are both sweet and tart, making them perfect for baking.
• Mirabelle plums. Small, yellow Mirabelle plums are a European variety from the Lorraine Region in France. This variety is very sweet, juicy with just a hint of tang, which makes them perfect for baking! They are widely available in France. However, they are a “protected origin” produce, which means they are illegal to export outside of France – making them very hard to find. Mirabelles are not allowed to be sold commercially in the US, but I heard they can be grown in home gardens.

You can stick to just one variety or mix them up! This adds complexity to the tart’s flavor profile.

Can I use almond meal instead of almond flour?

Yes, for this recipe, you can! Almond meal, in comparison to almond flour, is slightly coarser (not as finely ground). Almond meal is also often made from raw unpeeled almonds resulting in a brown-speckled mix, while almond flour is made from peeled almonds. 

Because we’re using a very small of almond flour, the overall taste and texture of the tart won’t be altered.

How can you store this Plum Tart?

This tart can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. The baked plums don’t hold very well so I don’t recommend keeping it any longer, nor freezing it.

Audrey’s tips

• This recipe will make enough for a 10-inch (25cm) tart crust or a 9-inch (22.9cm) tart crust, plus a little extra. Keep the extra crust in the freezer for another project (well-wrapped in plastic film). You won’t regret taking the time and little extra effort to make homemade crust!
• This French plum tart is typically served at room temperature or slightly warm. It can be enjoyed on its own or with a dollop of crème fraiche, whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I hope you’ll love this classic French Plum Tart recipe as much as I do. If you have any questions, please leave a comment. 

More French tarts to try: 

• Classic French Lemon Tart 
• Classic French Strawberry Tart 
• Alsatian Blueberry Tart 
• Blueberry Peach Galette 
• Classic Apple Tart Tatin 
• Normandy Apple Tart 
• Classic French Fruit Tart 
• Apricot Frangipane Tart 
• Peach Crème Fraiche Streusel Tart

French Plum Tart (Tarte aux Prunes)

Print Recipe

Serves: 8-10 Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 45 Minutes 45 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.3/5

( 4 voted )

Ingredients

For the Pâte Brisée:
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick/125g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
A pinch of salt
1/4 cup (50ml) cold water (approximate)

For the filling:
4 tbsp almond meal or almond flour
2.7 lbs (1.2 kg) prunes
4 tbsp (48g) cane sugar

Instructions

Step 1 – Prepare the Pâte Brisée. Mix the flour, salt and butter with your fingers or pulse in a food processor, until you get a crumbly consistency, and pea-size bits of butter are still visible. Add the water, one tablespoon at a time, and mix until the dough just comes together into a rough ball (up to 1/4 cup of water); do not over-mix or your crust will end up tough. Add a few more splashes of water if you feel the dough is too crumbly - but try to keep the water to a minimum. Too much water will also make your crust tough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 390ºF (200ºC) with a rack in the middle. Butter and flour a 10-inch (25cm) or a 9-inch (22.9cm) tart pan.

Step 2 – 20 minutes later, take the dough out of the fridge. Transfer it onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to circle of 16-inches (40cm) in diameter (about 1/6 inch thick). Drape the dough over your rolling pin and transfer it to the tart pan. Cut the excess off around the edges. Poke the bottom of the crust all over with a fork (10-12 pokes).

Step 3 – Spread the almond flour evenly over the bottom of the crust.

Step 4 – Wash and pit the prunes and slice them in quarters. Arrange the plum quarters, cut side up, in the pastry crust in a circular pattern. I like to start by creating one large circle from the outside and work my way inwards. Sprinkle the plums evenly with sugar.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until the crust looks golden. Transfer to a cooling rack.

Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

The post French Plum Tart (Tarte aux prunes) appeared first on Pardon Your French.

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you likely know I have a profound fondness for rustic French desserts. And this Normandy Apple Tart is high up on the list! It’s a delicious nostalgic dessert that I grew up with, and that I inevitably make again and again come each autumn.

This apple tart is called a “Tarte Normande” as it features staple ingredients from the Normandy region, including apples, cream and Calvados – the local apple brandy.  

As with most French regional recipes, there are countless variations of this Normandy Apple tart. But this version here is my go-to, made with a crisp “pâte sablée” (sandy crust), a calvados-spiked filling made with heavy cream, and delicious seasonal apples.

Ingredients you need for this Normandy Apple Tart

This Normandy Apple tart is a wonderful Fall and Winter baking project to help use up seasonal apples. There’s no doubt why it is a household favorite in France! Here is the full list of ingredients you’ll need to make this charmingly rustic dessert.

For the crust: 

1. White sugar. You need granulated sugar for both the crust and the filling.
2. Flour. All-purpose flour is best here.
3. Unsalted butter, cubed. You need to use very cold butter to create a perfectly sandy crust. My tip here is to take the butter out of the fridge, cut it in cubes and then place it back into the fridge for at least 30 minutes before using it in the recipe.
4. Egg yolks. 

For the filling: 

1. Apples. Firm baking apples such as Honey Crisp or Pink Lady work best for this tart, as they hold their shape when baked.
2. Eggs. Choose large eggs and make sure they are at room temperature. To do so, take them out of the fridge at least 2 hours prior to starting the recipe.
3. White sugar. 
4. Flour. All-purpose flour is best here.
5. Heavy Cream. In France, crème fleurette is largely used for making this Tarte Normande. This specific type of heavy cream is made from the cream that rises to the top of the milk. Crème Fleurette is usually around 30-35% milk fat, so you can use heavy cream as a substitute in North America.
6. Calvados. This apple Brandy brightens the apple flavor and gives a distinctive taste to this tart. For more notes on Calvados, read the “What is Calvados?” paragraph below.

Onto the details…

The Pâte Sablée

The crust for this tart is known as a pâte sablée, translating to sandy crust. This type of crust is traditionally used in France for the making of tart shells meant to host a creamy filling, often topped with fruits – such as in a Classic French Strawberry Tart. It is buttery, not too sweet, with a lovely sandy texture. Yet it is sturdy enough to hold the cream and apples.

The pâte sablée is baked “à blanc”. This means it is first par baked without any filling. The apples and cream are added later, for a second baking period.

What is Calvados and where to find it?

Calvados, is an apple brandy made in Normandy, France. It is very popular in France and can be found in virtually every grocery store or liquor store. If you’re interested, I shared a few years back this story about visiting a Calvados distillery in Normandy.

In North America, Calvados can be purchased in specialty liquor stores and through online retailers. Some popular options for purchasing Calvados include Total Wine & More, BevMo!, and Astor Wines & Spirits.

Online retailers like Drizly, Wine.com, and ReserveBar also offer a variety of Calvados brands for purchase and delivery.

What apples to choose?

There are many different apples that work well for baking this apple tart, but some of the best options include Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Jonathan, Rome, and Pink Lady.

These baking apples tend to hold their shape well when baked and offer a balance of sweet and tart flavors. It’s also important to choose apples that are firm and not overly ripe, as softer apples can turn mushy when baked.

Frequently Asked Questions

My pâte sablée was very tough, what happened?

The dough was likely overmixed. It is important to mix only until everything comes together cohesively into a ball.

My pâte sablée isn’t coming together into a ball, what should I do?

Every flour is different in regards to humidity as well as its ability to absorb moisture. If your pate sable isn’t coming together, you can add another splash of water, or 1-2 tablespoons of cold, cubed butter.

I don’t have Calvados, what can I replace it with?

Calvados is an apple brandy, so you can substitute any other apple brandy. If you don’t want to purchase apple brandy, you can use also any brandy or cognac. If you prefer to leave the alcohol out altogether, feel free.  

That being said, Calvados truly gives this tart its distinct flavor – so the taste will be slightly different (less apple-forward) if you opt for an alternative.

How to store this Normandy apple tart?

Chill it. After making (and enjoying) this Apple Tart – if you have any leftovers – you can cover it with plastic film and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can enjoy it chilled or reheated. For reheating, simply pop it in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 8-10 minutes.

Can I freeze this apple tart?

I don’t recommend freezing this tart. The filling will likely become soggy when thawing and the crust will be soft.

Audrey’s baking tips

• Although you can use a store-bought pie crust for convenience, I think making your own pâte sablée (sandy crust) from scratch will go a long way. Don’t skip the chilling time in the fridge and remember to work quickly – avoid the crust from getting to warm or it will become sticky.
• This crust recipe will give you enough for a 9-inch (23cm) pie crust.
• You can prepare the crust the day before and keep it refrigerated for up to 24 hours, well-wrapped in plastic film. 

I hope you’ll love this Normandy Apple Tart recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. 

More French recipes to enjoy apples:

• Gluten-Free Apple Crisp 
• Classic French Tarte Tatin
• Apple Cinnamon Galette 
• Spelt French Apple Cake 
• Apple Breton Pound Cake
• Skillet Caramelized Apple Cake
• Classic French Apple Cake 
• Classic French Thin Apple Tart

Normandy Apple Tart

Print Recipe

Serves: 8-10 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 40 Minutes 40 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.7/5

( 3 voted )

Ingredients

The crust:
1 ¼ cup (155g) all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
¼ cup (50g) sugar
½ cup (1 stick/125g) unsalted butter, cold and cut in small cubes.
2 egg yolks
The filling:
4 baking apples
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup (100g) sugar
1 cup (250ml) heavy cream (30% m.f)
2 tbsp (30ml) calvados
2 tbsp (15g) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp (25g) sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions

Step 1 – Prepare the Pâte sablée. In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt and sugar. Add the cubed butter and mix the ingredients together using your hands (rub between your palms) until you get a crumbly, sandy texture and pea-size bits of butter are still visible.

Add the egg yolks and combine until the dough comes together into a ball. Wrap in plastic film and chill for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat your oven to 400°F (205°C) with a rack in the middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch tart pan.

Step 2 - Take the Pâte sablée out of the fridge. Place it between two large sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to a 5mm (0.2inch) thickness.

Line the tart pan bottom with the crust – you can leave the bottom parchment paper underneath if you prefer. Don’t worry if the crust tears, you can easily patch it together and press to seal. Trim the edges all around and poke the bottom evenly with a fork.

Step 3 – Par-bake the crust. Place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the tart shell and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Take the crust out of the oven, set aside on a cooling rack and remove the pie weights. Let cool. Turn the oven temperature down to 350°F (180°C).

Step 4 – Prepare the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs, and whisk until slightly foamy and the sugar has dissolved. Whisk in the heavy cream and the Calvados.

Sprinkle the flour atop and whisk until fully incorporated. If the mixture has flour lumps, don’t hesitate to pass it through a mesh strainer.

Step 5 – Peel and core the apples and cut them into large slices. I usually cut each apple into 12 slices. Place about half of the apples slices at the bottom of the parbaked crust, in an even layer. There is no need to arrange them nicely.

Place the other half of the apples slices over top, arranged this time in a circular pattern. Pour the cream filling in the center of the pan. Sprinkle the apples evenly with one to two tablespoons of sugar.

Bake for 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown, the filling looks set and the apples golden. If needed, pass the tart under the broiler for 30 seconds to 1 minutes, until the apples look more golden. Be very careful not to burn the crust or the apples!

Transfer tart onto a cooling rack and let cool for at least 30 minutes before removing from pan. Enjoy warm or cooled, with a dusting of powdered sugar, or a dollop of whipped cream on top.

The post Normandy Apple Tart (Tarte Normande) appeared first on Pardon Your French.

The components of a French fruit tart 

A Classic French fruit tart features 4 main components: a sweet pastry crust (a pâte sucrée), pastry cream, fresh fruits and a glaze. 

The crust: « pâte sucrée ».

The ideal crust for this fruit tart is what we call a “pâte sucrée”. A pâte sucrée is a buttery, sweet, cookie-like pastry crust generally used in French baking for tarts featuring cream or custards. A “pâte sucrée” has a crisp, crumbly texture – as opposed to classic an American pie crust which is flakier, and as opposed to a “pâte sablée” which is sandier. 

This pâte sucrée recipe includes a small portion of almond flour and a good amount of butter and powdered sugar. The combination of butter and powdered sugar creates a melt-in-your-mouth texture, which balances perfectly with the smooth vanilla pastry cream and juicy, fresh fruits. 

Tips: 

• Because a pâte sucrée contains quite a lot of butter, the dough needs to be chilled twice – at least 2 hours before being rolled out, and at least 30 minutes once rolled out in the tart shell, before baking. Consider these chilling times when you plan on making this fruit tart. 
• You can prepare the dough the day before and keep it refrigerated for up to 24 hours, well-wrapped in plastic film. 
• The crust gets baked on its own (baked “à blanc”), before being filled with the pastry cream and topped with fruits. You can also bake it the day prior, to save time. Once baked, keep the crust unfilled in the fridge for up to 24 hours. 

The pastry cream: “crème pâtissière ».

This pastry cream is known as “crème pâtissière”. French crème pâtissière is a custard flavored with vanilla, that is thickened using eggs and egg yolks. It is thicker than English or American custard and tastes richer too. It is used as the base for countless French desserts, especially fresh fruit tarts.

Fresh fruits.

Fresh, seasonal fruits are really the stars of the show here. There are no specific rules about which fruits to choose. But being a classic Summer dessert, the tart often features summer berries (ie. strawberries) along with kiwis for a nice contrast of color. I often like to add a clementine for pop of orange, and garnish the center with smaller fruits such as cherries or blueberries. 

In general, any soft fresh fruits work here: sliced mango, sliced peaches, halved apricots, etc. Avoid crunchy fruits, such as apples or pears. 

Once the fruits are washed, hulled and sliced, I like to arrange them by groups on a large cutting board. This make it easier for assembling the tart later. Start by placing the strawberries on the outer circle, and work your way inward with the other fruits. 

The glaze: apricot jam.

Apricot jam is commonly used for glazing fruit tarts in France. The specific term for glazing a fruit tart is called ‘abricoter’. The apricot jam is slowly heated and passed through a fine mesh strainer to discard of any chunks. Apple jelly is another popular alternative to apricot jam – which doesn’t need to be strained. Although less traditional, other jams work perfectly too: strawberry jam, raspberry jam, peach jam, etc. 

How long can you keep this tart? 

Once assembled this tart can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Crème pâtissière doesn’t freeze well, so I don’t recommend freezing this tart. 

Cooking notes:

• The pâte sucrée (baked “à blanc”) and the crème pâtissière can be made ahead and stored in the fridge until ready to assemble. I think this makes it a great dessert to be served for hosting, if you need to manage your time wisely in the kitchen.
• Although you can use a store-bought pie crust for convenience, I think making your own pâte sucrée from scratch will go a long way. Don’t skip the chilling time in the fridge and remember to work quickly – avoid the crust from getting to warm or it will become sticky. 
• This crust recipe will give you enough for a 9-inch pie crust. I recommend you use a tart pan with a removable bottom, which will support the crust when lifting your tart.

Classic French Fruit Tart (Tarte aux fruits frais)

Print Recipe

Serves: 8 Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes 30 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

For the « pate sucrée » crust :
½ cup (125g) unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature.
¾ cup (95g) powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup + 1 ½ tbsp (40g) almond flour (ground almond)
1 large egg
1 ¾ cup + 1 tbsp (233g) all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt

For the crème pâtissière:
1 cup (250ml) milk (2% or whole)
½ tsp vanilla extract (or seeds from ½ vanilla bean)
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
3 tbsp (38g) sugar
2 tbsp (17g) all-purpose flour
1 ½ tbsp (11g) cornstarch

For the fruits :
About 300g strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced in half
3 kiwis, peeled and sliced in thin slices
1 clementine, peeled and divided
7-8 cherries, halved and pitted

For the glaze :
¼ cup apricot jam or apple jelly, warmed

Instructions

Step 1 - Make the « pâte sucrée » crust. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and powdered sugar until creamy and smooth. Add the vanilla extract, almond flour and egg, and mix until homogeneous. Add the all-purpose flour and salt, and mix until just incorporated and the dough comes together into a ball. Wrap in a plastic film and place in the fridge for 2 hours, minimum.

Pre-heat your oven to 350°F (180°C).

Step 2 - Take the pâte sucrée out of the fridge, place it between two large sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to a 12-inch circle. Unpeel the top sheet of parchment paper, transfer the crust to a 9-inch tart pan (trim the sides if needed) and poke the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Chill it again for 30 minutes. Line the top of the crust with foil or parchment paper and place pie weights or dried beans on top, to keep the pie crust from puffing when baking.

Bake the pâte sucrée for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment paper filled with weights and bake for 10 more minutes, until the edges of the crust are golden.

Set the tart shell aside to cool (still in the pan).  

Step 3 - Make the crème pâtissière. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm up the milk and vanilla. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk and sugar until lighter in color and fluffy. Whisk in the flour and cornstarch. When the milk is just simmering, slowly pour it into the egg mixture, and whisk continuously until just incorporated.

Transfer back into the saucepan, whisk occasionally and remove from the heat as soon as it begins to thicken and bubble. Pour into a clean bowl, and cover the crème with plastic wrap; the wrap should touch the whole surface of the crème to prevent a skin from forming. Set aside to cool completely. 

Step 4 - Assemble the tart. Place the completely cooled crust onto a serving plate. Spread the crème pâtissière over the bottom of the crust. Start by placing the strawberry halves (bottom side down) on top of the crème, on the outer circle of the tart. Keep three or four strawberry halves to garnish the center of the tart. Continue by placing kiwi slices, clementine quarters and cherries halves, in a circular pattern and overlapping until full. 

Step 5 -  Glaze. Warm up the apricot jam in a microwave for 15 seconds and pass it through a fine mesh strainer if needed (to discard of fruit chunks). Gently brush the jam over the fruits. Chill the tart for at least one hour before serving, for the glaze to cool and set. 

The post Classic French Fruit Tart (Tarte aux fruits frais) appeared first on Pardon Your French.

This Thin Apple Tart is made with only 5 components: a puff pastry circle, apples, butter, sugar and a glaze. It is a minimalist tart that truly lets the apple shine – so make sure you choose the right apples. 

Choosing the Right Apples

This rule applies to any baking project that includes apples: choose baking apples. Honey Crisp, Jonagold, Braeburn, Mutsu, Golden Delicious, Northern Spy or Granny Smith are all great varieties to use here. These aren’t as juicy once baked, and won’t turn mushy, nor make the crust underneath soggy. 

I recommend you stick to only 1 variety of apple for this thin tart recipe. Do not mix different varieties or the tart may not look harmonious once baked. 

I personally love to use Granny Smith or Honey Crisp to make this Thin Apple Tart recipe. Both these varieties are crisp and not too sweet. They also have a firm flesh that holds its shape when baking, which is perfect for slicing the apples very thinly and creating a pretty pattern. 

The apples need to be peeled and then cut in very thin slices. To do so, you can use a mandoline or cut by hand, using a very sharp kitchen knife.

The final glazing, know as “abricoter”

The final step for this elegant Thin Apple Tart is known in French as “abricoter”. Abricoter is brushing apricot jam, thinned out with water on top of the fruits after the tart is baked. Apple or currant jellies are often used too. This gives the fruits a lovely glaze while protecting them from drying out or oxidizing (turning darker/brownish). 

This process is used a lot in Classic French pastry, and you can see the majority of fruit tarts in bakeries bearing a lovely glaze. 

For this Thin Apple Tart, I love to use a traditional Apricot jam thinned out with water as it gives a subtle yellow glaze that is perfect to highlight the apple slices. You could also use an apple jelly as the taste would go hand-in-hand with the taste of this tart. However, I don’t recommend using a red currant jelly as its red color would be too dark for the apple slices. 

More Cooking notes: 

• Although I honestly often rely on store-bought puff pastry to save time, you can of course make your own puff-pastry from scratch. For this, I recommend the rough puff pastry recipe from Clotilde Dusoulier. It is easy to make, uses lots of butter (in true French fashion) and turns out great. 
• Act fast when rolling out and cutting out the puff pastry into a circle and transferring it onto the baking sheet. Puff pastry warms up quickly and can get sticky. 
• Do not over-brush melted butter on top of the apples or you will get butter oozing out of the tart in the oven. Simply apply a thin single brushing over the apples. 
• Like most puff pastry baked goods, this tart should be served the day it is made. After that, the puff pastry crust looses its crunch and flakiness. 

I hope you’ll love this Classic French Thin Apple Tart (Tarte Fine Aux Pommes) as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment. 

You may also like:

• Classic French Apple Tarte Tatin
• Gluten-Free Apple Crisp 
• Classic French Apple Cake 
• Classic French Pear Cake 
• Pork Chops with Apples & Cider Sauce 

Classic French Thin Apple Tart (Tarte Fine Aux Pommes)

Print Recipe

Serves: 8 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 25 Minutes 25 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 5 voted )

Ingredients

3 large baking apples
Sheet of puff pastry (approx. 10in x 10in/20.5x20.5cm)
1 tbsp  (14g) unsalted butter
2 tbsp (25g) sugar
1/2-2 tbsp apricot jam or apple jelly (30-40g)

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 400°F (200°C) with a rack in the middle. Line up a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Step 1 - On a lightly floured working surface, roll out the sheet of puff pastry to a 13-inch (33cm) square. Then, cut out a 12-inch (30.5cm) circle from that dough – using a plate or a tart pan placed on top of the sheet as a guide if you want. Poke the circle all over with a fork. Transfer the puff pastry circle onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet and place in the fridge while you cut the apples. 

Step 2 -Peel and core the apples. Cut them in half or quarters, and slice them into very thin slices – by hand or using a mandoline. 

Step 3 -Remove the puff pastry from the fridge. Arrange the apple slices over the pastry in a circular pattern and overlapping – start with the largest apple slices for the outer circle and keep the smallest apple slices for the center. You do not need to leave a border all around. 

Step 4 -Melt the 1 tablespoon of butter and brush it onto the apples. Sprinkle the tart evenly with sugar. 

Step 5 -Bake the tart for 25 minutes or until the crust edges are dark brown and the apples look slightly caramelized. Let cool 2-3 minutes and transfer onto a cooling rack.  Mix the apricot jam with 1 tbsp of water, and brush the glaze onto the apples.

The post Classic French Thin Apple Tart (Tarte Fine Aux Pommes) appeared first on Pardon Your French.

If you’re visiting Alsace in the Summer, you’ll likely find an offering of this Alsatian Blueberry Tart in most restaurants, cafes and B&Bs. It is an iconic dessert from this French region and a tart that locals love to make at home too. It is simple, rustic-looking, delicious and makes do with the abundance of blueberries in late Summer.   

You can find this dessert called by “Tarte aux myrtilles” (myrtille translating to blueberry) or “Tarte aux Brimbelles” – brimbelles referring to the local wild blueberries harvested in Alsace. 

Note: This Alsatian Blueberry Tart recipe was first published on the blog in August 2018. Three years later, I re-worked the recipe slightly, with more blueberries, less sugar and slightly more crème fraiche. I also wanted to update the photos and instructions and add step-by-step photos. 

The crust: a “Pâte Brisée”

To make an Alsatian Blueberry Tart, I find a classic-French “Pâte Brisée” to be the best choice. 

A “Pâte Brisée” is the French version of a standard pie crust, made with a generous amount of butter. In comparison to a “Pâte Sucrée” (traditionally used for a French Lemon Tart) or a “Pâte Sablée” (traditionally used for a French Frangipane Apricot Tart), a Pâte Brisée is made with only flour, butter and water – no sugar or eggs. 

With fewer ingredients, a “Pâte Brisée” is a simpler, quicker pie crust that is more often used for “rustic” desserts (meaning, a little less fancy) that will simply allow the fruits to be the center of attention. Since it doesn’t have any sugar, it also means a “Pâte Brisée” can be used for both sweet and savory pies, be it quiches, fruits tarts or galettes. 

Because the flour and butter are mixed with water (water encouraging the gluten development in the flour), a “Pâte Brisée is sturdier and less sandy, in comparison to a “Pâte Sucrée” or a “Pâte Sablée”. This makes it an ideal crust for fruit tarts, to hold the baked soft fruits without breaking. It is also great for galettes, to avoid having the edges crumble when you fold them over the fruits. Lastly, it is a great crust to work with to create trimming, decorations or lattice-work for the top or edges of a fruit tart – just like this blueberry tart. 

Tips for a great Pâte Brisée”: 

• It is essential to use cold butter and ice cold water to make the dough. Cold butter -not room temperature- will distribute into the flour without softening. And ice-cold water will bind the ingredients together without softening the butter. This ensures little bits of butter are still present in the dough once rolled out, which makes for a most tender baked Pâte Brisée. 
• Do not overmix the dough: stop mixing when it just comes together into a rough ball. Otherwise, your crust likely will end up too tough once baked. 
• The Pâte Brisée needs to be chilled at least 20 minutes before being rolled out. If the dough is too cold and firm when trying to roll it out, let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes. It will warm up slightly, to become easier to roll out. If the dough cracks a bit when you roll it out or transfer it into the pan, do not fret. You can simply wet your fingers lightly under lukewarm water and “rub” the cracks to bind the dough back together. 

The filling: Blueberries with a “migaine” 

What makes this Alsatian Blueberry Tart truly stand out from other blueberry tarts or pies is the quick custard – called “migaine”– that gets poured atop the blueberries right before baking. Sometimes referred to as a flan, a filling or a custard, a “migaine” is a simple mixture of crème fraiche and egg yolks. 

Once baked, the “migaine” turns into a soft flan-like texture that wraps around the blueberries. Its mellow, creamy taste pairs perfectly with the sweetness and acidity of the fruits. Preparing a “migaine” to fill sweet and savory tarts (such as quiches) is quite popular in the Eastern part of France. 

More Cooking notes: 

• Making your own Pâte Brisée will make a big difference for this Alsatian Blueberry Tart.  This recipe will give you enough for a 9-inch (22.9cm) tart pan and you will leftover dough to create some decorations if you would like – such as lattice designs for the top, braids for around the edge of the tart or cutouts. Decorations are fun to make, but optional. 
• I recommend you use a tart pan with a removable bottom, which will support the crust when lifting your tart.
• Although it wasn’t easy to find up until a few years ago, Crème fraiche has now become common in grocery stores in Canada and the US. You can usually find it next to sour creams. Two of my favorite brands I recommend are Liberte and Maison Riviera.

I hope you’ll love this Alsatian Blueberry Tart as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment. 

You may also like: 

• Blueberry Almond Financiers 
• Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Loaf
• Peach Blueberry  Galette 
• Peach Crème Fraiche Streusel Tart
• Apricot Frangipane Tart 
• Fresh Peach Yogurt Cake

Alsatian Blueberry Tart

Print Recipe

Serves: 8-12 Prep Time: 1 hour Cooking Time: 40 Minutes 40 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.7/5

( 3 voted )

Ingredients

For the Pâte Brisée: 

2 cups (250g) all-purpose-flour
1/2 cup (1 stick/125g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
A pinch of salt
1/4 cup (50ml) cold water (approximate)

For the filling: 

1 1/2 dry pint (about 3 cups/570g) fresh blueberries, washed and dried
¼ cup (about 70g) crème fraiche
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp (25g) sugar

Instructions

Make sure you read the Pâte Brisée tips and cooking notes before you start. 

Step 1 – Prepare the Pâte Brisée. Mix the flour, salt and butter with your fingers or pulse in a food processor, until you get a crumbly consistency and pea-size bits of butter are still visible. Add the water, one tablespoon at a time, and mix until the dough just comes together into a rough ball (about 1/4 cup of water); do not over-mix or your crust will end up tough. Add a few more splashes of water if you feel the dough is too crumbly - but try to keep the water to a minimum. Too much water will also make your crust tough. Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and chill for about 20 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 390ºF (200ºC) with a rack in the middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch tart pan. 

Step 2 – 20 minutes later, take the dough out of the fridge. Transfer it onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to circle of 16-inch (40cm) in diameter (about 1/6 inch thick). Drape the dough over your rolling pin and transfer it to the tart pan. Cut the excess off around the edges. Poke the bottom of the crust evenly with a fork (10-12 pokes). You can keep the excess of dough for another baking project or use them to do decorations. 

Step 3 - In a small bowl, whisk together (with a fork) the egg yolks and crème fraiche until combined and lump-free. 

Step 4 - Evenly scatter the blueberries onto the crust. Pour the egg yolk + crème fraiche mixture over top and toss gently until the blueberries are evenly coated. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons (25g) of sugar.  

Optional: At this point, brush any crust decorations with and egg wash (1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tbsp [15ml] milk). 

Bake for about 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the blueberries are bubbling.

Transfer onto a cooling rack and let cool for at least 15 minutes before enjoying. Enjoy warm or cooled. 

 

The post Alsatian Blueberry Tart (Tarte aux Myrtilles Alsacienne) appeared first on Pardon Your French.

I love how this tart doesn’t need to look perfect, yet makes for an elegant seasonal dessert to wrap up a Summer meal. 

I originally spotted this recipe on Martha Stewart’s website, before seeing an adaptation of it on Smitten Kitchen – a great cooking blog that I have been following a while. Made with peaches (one of my favorite Summer fruits) and crème fraiche (one of my favorite ingredients) I knew I had to try this recipe – and it did not disappoint.

After working my way a few times around the recipe, I instinctively adapted it to better suit my taste. I chose to switch the crust for my go-to Pâte Sablée recipe: a crisp and buttery French short crust that is the perfect vessel for fruits. I added some quick rolled oats in the streusel mix for extra crunch and also sprinkled some on the bottom of the crust to prevent it from becoming soggy during baking.

If you are familiar with this blog, you likely already tried my Pâte Sablée recipe used in my Apricot Frangipane Tart and in my Classic French Strawberry Tart. 

More cooking tips:

• Making your own Pâte Sablée (“sandy” shortcrust pastry) will make a big difference. Don’t skip the chilling time in the fridge and remember to work quickly – avoid the crust from getting too warm or it will become sticky.
• This recipe will give you enough for a 9-inch (22.9cm) tart pan. I recommend you use a tart pan with a removable bottom, which will support the crust when lifting your tart.
• Use fresh seasonal peaches (canned peaches are almost always too sweet, unless they are homemade). Choose ripe, tender peaches – ideally yellow, instead of white – as yellow peaches have a better acidity which contrasts nicely against the tang of the crème fraiche. The peaches shouldn’t be too firm to the touch, although not mushy nor blemished. When slicing them in half, the stones should remove easily. If they are difficult to remove – the peaches aren’t ripe enough.
• Although it wasn’t easy to find up until a few years ago, Crème fraiche has now become common in grocery stores in Canada and the US. You can usually find it next to sour creams. Two of my favorite brands I recommend are Liberte and Maison Riviera.
• Like most fruit tarts, this Peach Crème Fraiche Streusel Tart is best enjoyed the day of, or the day after being made, but no later. 

I hope you’ll love this Peach Crème Fraiche Streusel Tart as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment. 

More recipes with Peaches: 

• Wine-braised Chicken with Peaches 
• Fresh Peach Yogurt Cake 
• Peach & Blueberry Galette
• Poached Peaches with Raspberry Sauce & Vanilla Ice Cream (Pêches Melba) 

Peach Crème Fraiche Streusel Tart

Print Recipe

Serves: 8-10 Prep Time: 1 Hour Cooking Time: 1 Hour 1 Hour

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.8/5

( 4 voted )

Ingredients

For the Pâte Sablée:
1 ¼ cup (155g) all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
¼ cup (50g) sugar
½ cup (1 stick/125g) unsalted butter, cold and cut in small cubes.
2 egg yolks

For the Streusel:
¼ cup (50g) sugar
2 tbsp (11.5g) quick rolled oats
¼ tsp salt
6 tbsp (47g) all-purpose flour
¼ cup cold (1/2 stick/ 62.5g) unsalted butter, cold and cut in small cubes

For the filling:
1 1/2 pounds ripe (5 medium) peaches, pitted and cut in 8
2 tbsp (25g) granulated sugar
2 tbsp (11.5g) quick rolled oats
¼ cup (about 70g) of crème fraiche

Instructions

Step 1 – Prepare the Pâte sablée. In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt and sugar. Add the cubed butter and mix the ingredients together using your hands (rub between your palms) until you get a crumbly, sandy texture and pea-size bits of butter are still visible. Add the egg yolks and combine until the dough comes together into a ball. Wrap in plastic film and chill for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat your oven to 400°F(205°C) with a rack in the middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform tart pan.

Step 2 - Take the Pâte sablée out of the fridge. Place it between two large sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to a 5mm (0.2inch) thickness. Line the tart pan bottom and sides with crust – don’t worry if the crust tears, you can easily patch it together and press to seal. Trim the edges all around and poke the bottom evenly with a fork.

Step 3 – Par-bake the crust. Place one of the sheet of parchment paper on top of the tart shell and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Take the crust out of the oven, set aside on a cooling rack and remove the pie weights. Let cool. Turn the oven temperature down to 375°F (190°C).

Step 4 – Make the Streusel. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, quick rolled oats, salt and all-purpose flour. Add the cold, cubed butter and mix into the dry ingredients, using your fingertips (or a pastry blender) to crumble the butter pieces, until you get a coarse crumbly texture.

Step 5 – Assemble the tart. In a large bowl, toss the peach wedges with 2 tablespoons of sugar and set aside. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of rolled oats all over the bottom of the par-baked crust. Add about 2 tablespoons of crème fraiche on top, in small dots evenly placed all over the bottom crust. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the streusel mixture.

Place the peach wedges in the crust, in a circular pattern, with cut-sides facing the bottom. Make sure the wedges are nice and tight, and if needed, cut some wedges in half to fill any holes. The whole crust should be covered with peaches, but it doesn’t need to look perfect.

Dot the peaches with the rest of the crème fraiche and sprinkle with the rest of the streusel.

Bake the tart for 50 minutes. The crust and streusel should be golden brown, and the crème fraiche should be bubbling when you take the tart out of the oven. Transfer onto a cooling rack and let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy warm or cooled.

This recipe is an adaptation from Martha Stewart and Smitten Kitchen. 

The post Peach Crème Fraiche Streusel Tart appeared first on Pardon Your French.

The Pâte Sablée 

This recipe begins with the making of a Pâte Sablée (“sandy” shortcrust pastry). I am providing below (in the recipe section) the directions to make your own pastry from scratch – which I always find makes a huge difference in taste and quality.

If you are in a crunch for time or simply don’t feel like doing it, using a store-bought short crust works too. The crust doesn’t need any blind baking before being filled with Frangipane. 

The Frangipane 

Next, you prepare the almond Frangipane: a not-too-sweet filling traditionally made from ground almonds and used extensively in French baking to fill pies, such as the Classic Bourdaloue Tart (a recipe you can find in my cookbook).or the traditional Galette des Rois. Frangipane requires basic pantry ingredients (butter, sugar, flour, eggs) along with a good quality almond flour.

When baking, the soft Frangipane filling will puff up, firm up and envelop the apricot quarters – making the tart look effortlessly clean and elegant.

Cooking notes: 

• Making your own Pâte sablée (“sandy” shortcrust pastry) will make a big difference. But using a store-bought piecrust works too.
• Almond meal (or Almond flour, or Ground Almond) is a highly perishable good. Make sure you get it fresh, store it well (in an airtight container) and use it as soon as possible. You can either buy it in store (either a package – such as Bobs Red Mill Almond Flour- , or buy it or in bulk) or you can make your own in a food blender. Blanched or un-blanched both work for this recipe.
• Choose ripe apricots: they shouldn’t be too firm to the touch, although not mushy nor blemished. When slicing them in half, the stones should remove easily. If they are difficult to remove – the apricots aren’t ripe enough.
• If really necessary (when apricots are out of season), you can use canned apricots. Make sure you drain them very well and pat them dry with paper towel so they don’t release too much juice/moisture while baking.
• Other ripe stone fruits will substitute great: peaches, plums or even cherries. 

I hope you’ll love this Apricot Frangipane Tart recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment.

You may also like:

• Raspberry Pistachio Frangipane Tart 
• Classic French Tarte au Citron
• Classic French Tarte aux Fraises
• Lemon Poppy seed French Yogurt Loaf
• Peach Yogurt Cake 

Apricot Frangipane Tart

Print Recipe

Serves: 8 Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 40 minutes 40 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 3.8/5

( 53 voted )

Ingredients

For the Pâte sablée :
1 ¼ cup (155g) all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
¼ cup (50g) sugar
½ cup (125g) unsalted butter, cold and cut in small cubes.
2 egg yolks

For the Frangipane filling:
½ cup (125g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
2 large eggs
1 ¼ cups ground almond (120g)
3 tablespoons (45g) unbleached all-purpose flour

For Garnish:
8-10 ripe apricots, stoned and quartered
2 tablespoons (30g) honey, maple syrup or apricot jam.

Instructions

Make sure you read the cooking notes before you start.

Step 1 – Prepare the Pâte sablée – In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt and sugar. Add the cubed butter and mix the ingredients together using your hands (rub between your palms) until you get a crumbly, sandy texture and pea-size bits of butter are still visible. Add the egg yolks and combine until the dough comes together into a ball. Wrap in plastic film and chill for 30 minutes.

Step 2 - Prepare the Frangipane -  In a large mixing bowl, whisk the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and continue whisking until fluffy. Add the eggs, one by one, beating well after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla and almond extract. Finally, whisk in the ground almond and the flour. Mix until just incorporated.

Pre-heat your oven to 350F(180C) with a rack in the middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform tart pan. 

Step 3 - Take the Pâte sablée out of the fridge. Place it between two large sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to a 5mm (0.2inch) thickness. Line the tart pan bottom and sides with crust – don’t worry if the crust tears, you can easily patch it together and press to seal. Trim the edges all around and poke the bottom evenly with a fork.

To assemble - Spoon the Frangipane filling into the crust and smooth the top all over with an offset spatula or the back of your spoon.

In a bowl, toss the apricots quarters in honey (or maple syrup, or apricot jam). Poke the apricots into the frangipane, spacing them evenly, creating a circular pattern. Don’t push the apricots too deep into the frangipane, they will sink in as it bakes. 

Bake the tart for 40 to 45 minutes, until the frangipane gets lightly firm and golden. The apricots should be tender and a knife poked in the frangipane should come out clean.

Leave the tart to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Serve still warm or at room temperature. For serving, dust with some icing sugar or accompany with some vanilla ice-cream on top.

If you try this Apricot Frangipane Tart recipe let me know!  Leave a comment or share a photo using #pardonyourfrench on Instagram. Bon Appétit! 

This recipe was first posted on Jul 18, 2017, and updated on June 28, 2020. 

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Privacy Policy & Disclosure page for more details.

The post Apricot Frangipane Tart appeared first on Pardon Your French.

The crust: « pâte sucrée ».

Just like the Tarte au Citron, the ideal crust for this tart is what we call a “pâte sucrée”. You can use a store-bought pie crust if you wish, but as I always like to say “making your own crust from scratch will go a long way”.  A pâte sucrée is a sweet, crumbly French pastry – a little crisper, and less sandy than a “pâte sablée” ( a crust you would use for this Tarte aux Fraises). My version of it includes a small portion of almond flour, for sweet nutty notes that balance perfectly with the tangy filling.

Because a pâte sucrée contains quite a lot of butter, it needs to be chilled twice for at least 2 hours before rolling-it out and at least 30 minutes once rolled out in the tart shell, before baking. Consider these chilling times when you plan on making this lemon tart. You can also prepare the dough the day before and keep it refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

The crust is blind baked – which mean on its own, before being filled.

The filling: a lemon-lime basil custard.

As mentioned above, this lemon-lime basil filling is a riff from my classic Tarte Au Citron recipe. Instead of using just lemons, we use mostly lime juice and a smaller portion of lemon juice. The custard is infused with fresh basil leaves, which enhances beautifully the fresh citrus flavors.

This custard holds its shape, but is far more soft than in the other lemon or lime pies you might have encountered. Likewise, this filling is far more rich and luscious than its American cousin (it’s a French tart, after all), with a generous amount of butter in it too.

Once filled, the tart simply gets baked again for 5 minutes for the custard to set and turn a deep beautiful yellow. You can then enjoy the tart slightly warm, or place it in the fridge for at least 2 hours and enjoy cold.

Cooking notes:

• Because we need the zest of a lemon and lime, make sure you get organic citrus fruits. Wash the skin well before zesting.
• I like my filling quite bright and tangy, which requires the zest of 1 whole lemon and 1 whole lime. If you’re a bit shyer, you can use the zest of only ½ a lemon.
• As a substitute for fresh basil, you can also use fresh mint leaves.
• The filling will be creamy and slightly soft the day of. If you pop the tart in the fridge and wait until the next day before serving it, the filling will be much firmer and make cleaner cuts.

I hope you’ll love this Lemon-Lime Basil Tart recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment.  

You may also like:

• Classic French Tarte au Citron
• Classic French Tarte aux Fraises
• Lemon Poppy seed French Yogurt Loaf
• Honey Lemon Marmalade

Lemon-Lime Basil Tart

Print Recipe

Prep Time: 45 minutes Cooking Time: 36 minutes 36 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.7/5

( 10 voted )

Ingredients

For the « pate sucrée » crust :
½ cup (125g) unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature.
¾ cup (95g) powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup + 1 ½ tbsp (40g) almond flour (ground almond)
1 large egg
1 ¾ cup + 1 tbsp (233g) all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt

For the filling:
¾ cup (180ml) lime juice (about 6-7 limes)
¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
Zest of 1 lime
Zest of 1 lemon
6-7 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped (+ a few extra for decoration)
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
1/4 tsp salt
¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, cubed.
4 large eggs + 4 large egg yolks

Instructions

Make the « pâte sucrée » crust.

In large mixing bowl, combine the butter and powdered sugar until creamy and smooth. Add the vanilla extract, almond flour and egg, and mix until homogeneous. Add the all-purpose flour and salt, and mix until just incorporated and the dough comes together into a ball. Wrap in a plastic film and place in the fridge for 2 hours, minimum.

Pre-heat your oven to 350°F (180°C).

Take the pâte sucrée out of the fridge, place it between two large sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to a 12-inch circle. Unpeel the top sheet of parchment paper, transfer the crust to a 9-inch tart pan (trim the sides if needed) and poke the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Line the top of the crust with foil or parchment paper and place pie weights or dried beans on top, to keep the pie crust from puffing when baking.

Bake the pâte sucrée for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment paper filled with weights and bake for 10 more minutes, until the edges of the crust are golden.

Set the tart shell aside to cool (still in the dish). Leave your oven on at 350°F/180°C.

In the meantime, make the lemon-lime basil filling.

Grab a fine-mesh strainer before you start and have it ready within arm’s reach.

In a medium saucepan (no heat yet), whisk together the lime juice, lemon juice, lime zest, lemon zest, basil, sugar, salt, egg yolks and eggs. Add the cubed butter and turn the heat to medium. Whisk slowly until the butter is all melted. Continue whisking steadily for several minutes until the mixture thickens to a thin custard consistency.

Immediately pass the lemon filling through the fine mesh strainer (to discard of the basil pieces) directly into the tart shell. Using an offset spatula (or back of a large spoon), smooth out the top of the filling. Bake the tart for 5 minutes, until the filling has slightly set and turned slightly deeper in color.

Set aside to cool for at least 30 minutes. Decorate with basil leaves and lime zests. Enjoy slightly warm or chilled.

If you try this Classic French Lemon Tart recipe let me know!  Leave a comment or share a photo using #pardonyourfrench on Instagram. Bon Appétit! 

The crust recipe is inspired by Pierre Herme’s (I have used this recipe for a long time, and made several tweaks to it along the way to suit my taste). 

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The post Lemon-Lime Basil Tart appeared first on Pardon Your French.

This Classic French Strawberry Tart recipe is as simple as it gets. It includes three classic components from the French baking repertoire: pâte sablée (sandy crust), crème pâtissière (pastry cream) and strawberries.

The Pâte Sablée

The crust for this tart is known as a pâte sablée (French sandy crust). This type of crust is traditionally used in France for the making of tart shells meant to include pastry creams. It is buttery, not too sweet, with a lovely sandy texture. Yet it is sturdy enough to hold the cream and strawberries.

The pâte sablée is baked “à blanc”. This means it is baked without any filling, and the cream and strawberries are then added once it is cooled.

The crème pâtissière

The pastry cream is known as “crème pâtissière”. French crème pâtissière is a custard flavored with vanilla that is thickened using eggs and egg yolks. It is thicker than English/American custard and tastes richer too. It is used as the base for countless French desserts, especially fresh fruit tarts. 

The strawberries

The strawberries are used fresh, as is. I am sure if you love seasonal strawberries as much as I do, you’ll agree strawberries often don’t need any assistance to taste delicious. Strawberries are much loved in France all throughout Spring and Summer, especially in my home region of Brittany known for exquisite local strawberries. 

The crisp pâte sablée, the rich crème pâtissière and the sweet strawberries are a bliss of perfectly combined textures and flavours. There is no doubt why this dessert is a timeless French classic and a favorite to make and enjoy amongst households.

Common Questions

My pâte sablée was very tough, what happened?

The dough was likely overmixed. It is important to mix only until everything comes together cohesively into a ball.

My pâte sablée isn’t coming together into a ball, what should I do?

Every flour is different in regards to humidity as well as its ability to absorb moisture. If your pate sable isn’t coming together you can add another splash of water, or 1-2 tablespoons of butter.

How far ahead can I make the crème patissiere?

The crème can be made 3-4 days ahead of time, if needed, as it typically lasts 5-6 days total before “turning”. This will allow you 2 days to consume the tart.

My crème patissiere curdled, what happened?

The temperature of your milk and tempering of the eggs is vital! Your milk should only be simmering when added to the eggs, not boiling. Add a very small amount (1 tablespoon) of the simmering milk to the eggs while continuously whisking. Repeat 3-4 more times to bring the eggs up to temperature before adding the remaining milk.

Can I assemble this tart the day before serving?

Short answer is yes, you can. But ideally, you prepare the tart shell, the crème and fruits separately, and assemble that tart the day of. This prevents the pate sable from softening and having a perfect tart to serve your guests.

How long can you keep this tart? 

Once assembled this tart can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Crème pâtissière doesn’t freeze well, so I don’t recommend freezing this tart. 

Audrey’s tips:

• The pâte sablée (baked “à blanc”) and the crème pâtissière can be made ahead and stored in the fridge until ready to assemble. I think this makes it a great dessert to be served for hosting, if you need to manage your time wisely in the kitchen.
• Although you can use a store-bought pie crust for convenience, I think making your own pâte sablée (sandy crust) from scratch will go a long way. Don’t skip the chilling time in the fridge and remember to work quickly – avoid the crust from getting to warm or it will become sticky. This crust recipe will give you enough for a 9-inch pie crust. I recommend you use a tart pan with a removable bottom, which will support the crust when lifting your tart.
• Choose seasonal, ripe strawberries that are in-season (and ideally from a local farmer’s market). After hulling the strawberries, I like to arrange them in small groups by size: large, medium, small. This make it easier for assembling the tart later. You can start by placing the small strawberry halves in the middle of the tart and use bigger strawberry halves for the outer circle.
• Apricot jam is commonly used for glazing fruit tarts in France. But other jams work perfectly too, like Strawberry Jam or Apple Jelly. Make sure you pass it through a fine mesh strainer first to discard of any chunks or seeds.

I hope you enjoy this Classic French Strawberry Tart (Tarte aux Fraises) as much as I do! Any questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment.

More Strawberry Recipes you may like: 

• Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
• Strawberry Flaugnarde
• Strawberry Charlotte Cake 
• Strawberry Rhubarb Galette
• Breton Pound Cake with Summer Berries
• Strawberry Jam

Classic French Strawberry Tart (Tarte aux Fraises)

Print Recipe

Serves: 8 people Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes 30 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.2/5

( 39 voted )

Ingredients

For the pâte sablée:
1 ¾ cup + 1 tbsp (233g) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (67.5g) sugar
½ tsp salt
½ cup (125g) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
1 large egg
For the crème pâtissière:
1 cup (250ml) milk (2% or whole)
½ tsp vanilla extract (or seeds from ½ vanilla bean)
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
3 tbsp (38g) sugar
2 tbsp (17g) all-purpose flour
1 ½ tbsp (11g) cornstartch
For topping:
5 ½ cups (790g) fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and halved
2 tbsp apricot jam

Instructions

Make sure you read the cooking notes before you start.

Step 1 -To make the crust, whisk together in a mixing bowl the flour, sugar and salt. Add the cubed butter and mix with your fingers (or pulse in a food processor), until you get a crumbly consistency and pea-size bits of butter are still visible. Add the egg and mix until the dough roughly comes together into a ball; do not overmix. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Pre-heat your oven to 350F (180C) with a rack in the middle.  

Grease and flour a 9-inch (23 cm) tart pan. Transfer the dough onto a floured working surface and roll it out to a 12-inch (31cm) circle. Transfer the crust to the pan. Cut any excess crust that hangs over the edge, and poke the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Line the top of the crust with foil or parchment paper and place pie weights or dried beans to keep the pie crust from puffing when baking.

Bake the crust for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment paper filled with weights and bake for 10 more minutes, until the edges of the crust are slightly golden. Set aside to cool completely.

Step 2 - To make the crème pâtissière, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm up the milk and vanilla. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk and sugar until lighter in color and fluffy. Whisk in the flour and cornstarch. When the milk is just simmering, pour it into the egg mixture, and whisk until just incorporated.

Transfer back into the saucepan, whisk occasionally and remove from the heat as soon as it begins to thicken and bubble. Pour into a clean bowl, and cover the crème with plastic wrap; the wrap should touch the whole surface of the crème to prevent a skin from forming. Set aside to cool completely. 

Step 3 - To assemble the tart, place the crust onto a serving plate. Spread the crème pâtissière over the bottom of the crust. Wash, drain, de-stem and halve the strawberries. Gently place them on top of the crème in a circular pattern (bottom side down).

Warm up the apricot jam in a microwave for 15 seconds and pass it through a fine mesh strainer if needed (to discard of fruit chunks). Gently brush the jam over the strawberries. Chill the tart for at least one hour before serving.

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