Its taken me a while to get this recipe up. As the world slowly went back to a new kind of normal, a lot of the free time I’ve had over the last few months has all but evaporated. However, I did manage to make time to squeeze in a bake using some of these gorgeous Greengages.
For me, late summer and early autumn is a time for seasonal fruits. A glut of ripe ingredients ready to snap up. Blink and they’ll be gone before winter sets in. Figs, Greengages, Damsons and Mirabelle’s are among my favourites this time of year. A great time to pickle, jam and preserve them before they’re gone. Also perfectly delightful to eat alone.
Ingredients – make one 23cm tart
For the Pastry
- 125g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 90g icing sugar
- 1 medium egg
- 200g plain flour
- pinch of salt
For the filling
- 125g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 125g icing sugar
- 2 eggs
- 150g ground almonds
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2-3 heaped tablespoons of marmalade
- 5 greengages, cut in half (plus 2 if wishing to garnish with fresh pieces)
- a few handfuls of flaked almonds
Method
To make the pastry, cream together the butter and sugar until combined but not fluffy. Add the egg and combine, scraping down the edges of the bowl and mixing again. Lastly, add the flour and salt and mix until the pastry comes together. Tip out onto your worksurface and lightly knead into a flattened ball. Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for 20 minutes to rest.
While your pastry chills, we can make the frangipane filling. Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla until mixed well but not white or fluffy. Add in the eggs, scrap down the bowl and mix again. Add in the ground almonds and mix until fully combined. Place a piece of clingfilm on the surface and set aside until ready to use.
Pre-heat your oven to 160°C. Take a 23cm (9 inch) deep pie/tart dish and grease with butter (you can also use a traditional tart ring here but I like to use a deep pie dish so that you achieve tall, thick slices). Roll out your rested pastry on a floured work top until it is a few inches wider than your chosen tart ring/dish, it should be about 4mm thick. Lay it over the tart case and ease the pastry into all the edges until it is evenly lined. Trim off the excess overhanging pastry and prick the base with a fork a couple of times. Fill the pastry case with baking paper and baking beans. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes. Remove the baking beans and bake for a further 15 minutes until a light golden brown. Leave to cool for 20 minutes (or place in the fridge for 10 minutes) until it is no longer hot to the touch.
Spread a layer of marmalade on the bottom of the tart case and spread the prepared frangipane on top in an even layer. Arrange your Greengage halves on the top of the frangipane (reserving some to garnish), pressing them in slightly. Sprinkle flaked almonds generously around the edge of the tart and place back in the oven for approx. 45 minutes. The tart should be a deep golden brown and a skewer should come out clean when inserted into the frangipane. Since the tart is so deep, it will take quite a while to bake. If you’re worried about it getting too dark, cover the top with foil before continuing to bake.
Leave at room temperature until completely cool. Dust with icing sugar and garnish with quarters of greengage to finish. (I like to use leftover warm marmalade to glaze the fruit.)
A Bakers Escape 