Passionfruit and thyme frangipane tart
This fruit and herb sweet tart is filled with frangipane and cream cheese and topped with jelly. For this recipe you will need a 25cm/10in fluted tart tin.
Instead of using freshly squeezed passionfruit to create the juice for the jelly, you can replace this with 180ml/6fl oz ready-made passionfruit juice.
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 230²µ/8¼´Ç³ú plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 125g/4½oz unsalted butter
- 75²µ/2¾´Ç³ú icing sugar
- 1 free-range egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 3 tbsp full-fat milk
For the frangipane
- 85g/3oz unsalted butter
- 85g/3oz caster sugar
- 85g/3oz ground almonds
- 15²µ/½´Ç³ú plain flour
- 1 free-range egg
- 1 tbsp amaretto
For the passionfruit jelly
- 175ml/6fl oz passion fruit juice (from approximately 8 very large passionfruit, sieved)
- 8 small thyme sprigs
- 12g/â…“oz powdered gelatine
- 70ml/2½fl oz cold water
- 150g/5½oz granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
For the cream cheese filling
- 340²µ/11¾´Ç³ú cream cheese
- pinch salt
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú icing sugar
- 110ml/3¾fl oz double cream
To decorate
- handful of cherries, raspberries and blueberries
- few small mint leaves
- edible gold leaf (optional)
Method
To make the pastry, mix the flour, butter and sugar in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until the butter is broken down. Add the egg yolk, vanilla and milk, then mix until it comes together. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
Once chilled, roll out on a floured surface and line a 25cm/10in fluted tart tin (leaving an overhang). Put it back in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Blind bake the pastry, filled with baking beans, for 15 minutes then remove the beans and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Let the pastry cool for 10 minutes.
To make the frangipane, put all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined. Spread a thin layer in the tart shell and smooth before putting it in the oven. Cook for 20 minutes.
To make the passionfruit jelly, bring the passionfruit juice and thyme sprigs to a simmer in a saucepan, turn off the heat and leave for 30 minutes. Dissolve the gelatine in the cold water and set aside. Bring the passionfruit mixture back to a simmer, remove from the heat and then add the bloomed gelatine, sugar and vanilla paste and whisk until the gelatine has dissolved. Sieve the mixture into a bowl and leave to cool.
To make the cream cheese filling, put the cream cheese, salt, vanilla paste and icing sugar in a bowl, and whisk with an electric whisk until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the double cream to soft peaks, then combine with the cream cheese mixture using a spatula. Measure 30ml/1fl oz from the passionfruit jelly liquid and mix this in until combined.
To assemble, once the tart is cool, use a vegetable peeler to shave the pastry overhang so it is level with the tin. Add the cream cheese mixture and spread it out evenly and as level as possible which should leave a small gap on the top for the jelly. Pour over the cool liquid jelly and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight.
To decorate, top with whole cherries, raspberries, blueberries, and a few mint leaves in a crescent shape along one side. Add some gold leaf to the fruit for extra pizzazz.
