Raspberry Frangipane Tartlets

Close up on a small tart placed over two white coaster.

5 from 1 vote

Raspberry Frangipane Tartlets

These Raspberry Frangipane Tartlets are elegant and delicious little pastries that are great for a Summer dessert table. The crispy mini tart shells are filled with a buttery almond cream and topped with fresh raspberries and slivered almonds.

Prep Time1

Cook Time40

Resting Time4

Total Time5 40

Course: afternoon tea, Dessert

Cuisine: French

Servings: tartlets

Calories: 500kcal

Author: Sylvie

Equipment

8 to 9 8 cm Perforated Tart Rings or mini tart tins - the exact quantity of tarts will vary based on the size of your tins.

Ingredients

Pâte Sucrée Tartlet Shells

100 gr Unsalted Butter at room temperature, very soft
50 gr Powdered Sugar sifted
1 large Egg at room temperature
40 gr Almond Meal
200 gr Plain / All-Purpose Flour
1 pinch Fine Table Salt

Almond Cream Filling

100 gr Unsalted Butter at room temperature, soft
100 gr Powdered Sugar sifted
2 large Eggs at room temperature
100 gr Almond Meal

To assemble

200 gr Fresh Raspberries
25 gr Slivered Almonds optional

Instructions

Pâte Sucrée Tartlet Shells

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle (or large bowl with hand mixer), cream the soft butter and powdered sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes - or until you get a soft, creamy and smooth mixture.
Mix in the egg and almond meal, then add the flour and salt. Mix on low speed until a rough dough comes together. Stop to scrape the bowl with a spatula if needed to make sure all the flour is evenly distributed.
Bring the dough into a smooth ball and place between two large sheets of baking paper / parchment paper.
Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large disk that is about 4 mm (1/8 inch) thick (see note 1). Place in the fridge to rest and chill for at least 1 to 2 hour. The dough sheet should be completely hard.
Take the dough out of the fridge and gently peel off both baking paper sheets.
Using a round cookie cutter that is a few cm wider than your tart rings or mini tart tins (see note 2), cut out disks of dough.
Place each disk over a ring. Gently press down the centre of the dough until it touches the bottom, then slide the edges along the sides of the rings/tins. Gently run a finger on the corner between the bottom and sides to create a sharp angle. Make sure the sides are pressed again the ring/tin (see note 3).
Run a small sharp knife along the top of the tart rings/tins to cut out any excess dough. Any excess / leftover dough can be re-rolled between two sheets of baking paper, chilled again and used to make more tart shells.
Place all the tart rings on a large tray - preferably a perforated tray with perforated baking mat - or a regular baking tray line with parchment paper or silicone mat. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight for the best results.
Preheat your oven on 160 degrees Celsius / 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Prick the bottom of the shells with a fork then place in the freezer for 10 - 15 minutes until your oven is preheated.
Par-bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until the shells hold their shape and look dry to the touch (see note 4). Remove from the oven, place on a cooling rack and leave to cool back down to room temperature. If using tart rings, you can remove the rings at this point.

Almond Cream Filling

Place the very soft butter and sugar in a large bowl (if using a hand mixer) or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for about 3 to 5 minutes or until very soft, creamy and increased in volume.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly until fully incorporated into the butter mixture (see note 5).
Add the almond meal and mix until combined. You should get a thick, coarse paste. If it appears greasy, it usually indicates the butter was too warm. Place in the fridge for 10-15 minute to firm up a bit.
Using a piping bag (just cut out the tip) or simply a spoon, spread the almond cream into an even layer inside the par-baked shells. Fill each shell about halfway to the top; the filling will puff up in the oven.

To assemble

Place 3 to 4 raspberries (depending on their size) over the almond cream and gently press them in slightly (see note 6). Optionally, sprinkle with slivered almonds.
Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. The almond sponge should have puff up and look golden brown. Leave on a cooling rack to cool down completely.

Notes

Note that the exact number of tartlets you will get will vary based on the type of tart pan you use, their exact size and width as well as how thinly you rolled the dough. With 8 cm wide tart rings, you should get 8 to 9 tarts.

I highly recommend using a rolling pin with thickness rings or some thickness strip guides to get a perfectly even thickness in your rolled dough.
The exact size of cookie cutter will depend on the size and shape of your tart tins / rings. As a reference, with the 8 cm tart rings I used here, I cut out some 12 cm wide disks of dough.
Make sure to get a sharp angle between the bottom and the sides to avoid any air bubbles. If you do not have any tart rings or mini tart tins, you could also use a muffin pan. Use the method explained in my Mini Tart Shells recipe.
No need to use baking beads or weights here; if the dough has been properly rested and chilled, the tart crust should not move in the oven!
The mixture can start to split at this point. This may happen if your butter was too cold/too soft or your eggs were too cold / too warm. Don't worry if this happens, the almond cream will come back together after you add the almond meal.
The raspberries will seem to poke out of the cream a fair bit, that's normal. The almond filling will puff up in the oven.

Nutrition