Orange Frangipane Tart

 Oh how did I not understand frangipane before now!?

We fell in love with a walnut tart a while back, so when I read a recipe from @NZLife for an orange tart I knew I needed to adapt it to be frangipane too.

So here it is- an orange frangipane tart that is perfect for mid winter, while we have the sublime locally grown navel oranges in abundance & for picnics. Last week we had a wonderful wandering adventure out in Havelock North. Our afternoon tea under a leafless oak tree up at Keirunga gardens simply comprised of an orange frangipane tart & a tea of rose petal, hibiscus (sabdariffa), linden & double pink hawthorn blossom that was light & floral & perfect.

So to make the tart:

Pastry: 125 gms of chilled, cubed butter, a pinch of salt if it's unsalted like ours

1 1/4 cups of flour- I used 1 cup of wholemeal spelt & 1/4 white spelt flour

1 rounded tbsp of jaggery or brown sugar & a 1/4 tsp ground cardamom

2 tbsps cold water.

Either process the mix to a fine crumb & then pulse in the water, or rub the butter through the flour & sugar & mix the water in. Chill while you get organised- like turning on the oven to 180 degrees C 

Bake for 10 minutes in a 23cm tart tin lined with baking paper, or several smaller ones 

Filling: soften 75 grams of butter & a large tbsp of jaggery, raw or brown sugar, beat together 

Add 1/2 cup of lovely honey

Beat in 4 eggs one at a time

Add the grated zest of a good rough (easier to grate) large orange so that you have at least a tbsp of zest

Add the juice of the orange, a tsp of lemon zest & the juice of half a lemon

Then stir through a cup of ground almonds & a tbsp of flour

Pour in to the par baked shell. Add mandarin segments in a pattern on top if you like.

Bake 180 degrees for 10 mins & then 20- 25 minutes at 160 until the tart is golden & set.

Cool before removing from the tin/s

Katie X

Rustic French Apple Tart

This is the most delicious apple tart we've ever tasted. It's rustic and easy to make and just perfect for picnics. I'm sure you could also make a number of small pies instead of one large one.

It's just as good warm as it is cold.

Pastry

Sift 1 cup of white flour and 1/2 cup of wholemeal flour in to a bowl.

Add a dsp of raw sugar and a pinch of salt. 

Grate 100 grams of frozen unsalted butter in to the flour and mix it in a little as you go so that it doesn't get clumpy. Rub the butter in lightly with the tips of your fingers until it resembles rolled oats but don't over handle and don't fuss too much. 

Make a well in the centre, add 1/4 c milk and 1/4 cup of yoghurt.

Mix with a spoon until it comes together, adding a little more flour if you need to.

Knead a little, but not too much. 

Place in a small bowl and cover with bees wrap and put in to the fridge for an hour, or overnight. 

Once you're ready to put your tart together turn on the oven to preheat to 180C 

Peel, core and finely slice three or four eating or firm cooking apples (not Ballarats that turn to pulp when cooked). Place them in a bowl, sprinkle over a tbsp of demara or other sugar, a tsp of cinnamon and a dsp of flour. Mix through the apple with your hands.

Roll the chilled dough out in a circle on to lightly floured baking paper on a baking sheet. 

Arrange the apple however you want to in the centre and fold up the edges all the way round.

Brush with melted butter if you like.

Bake for around 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown and the apple is cooked.

Katie X