Hello friends,
We’re inching towards the end of the month and I’ve got a bit more spring in my step thanks to slightly brighter mornings and milder temperatures. My big winter coat is finally about to retire for another year! I also have a silly amount of things to get done over the next few weeks and my to do list doesn’t appear to be getting any smaller despite furiously crossing off multiple lines a day.
Despite the busyness, I still found some time to bake and fancied making some pastry this week. Sweet shortcrust pastry comes together pretty easily and isn’t as intimidating as you might think. Once you’ve got a good base recipe, it’s easy to use it in lots of different things from lemon tarts to chocolate tarts and the star of this weeks newsletter, frangipane tarts!
I’ve got two recipes for you and they’re both full of buttery, almond-y goodness. First up we’ve got frangipane toast. I couldn’t quite think of a better name for it (suggestions welcome) but to be fair, it’s pretty much the same thing as a French bostock. What is a bostock I hear you ask? It’s usually made from leftover bread that gets brushed with syrup and topped with almond frangipane before being baked. Also very similar to an almond croissant and makes for a very good brunch option. Most recipes for bostock will use brioche but I actually really like it made on slices of sourdough. I prefer the savoury, slightly saltier base, chewier crumb and the edges get ridiculously crisp.
For paid subscribers, we’re taking things a little bit further with a classic frangipane tart. It’s a good one to have up your sleeve as they are so versatile; I’ll make them throughout the year and just switch up the fillings. This week I went for apples and thyme. If you’ve got any of my books or have baked some of my recipes you’ll know how much I love pairing herbs and fruit in desserts. It always brings a little more depth and fragrance that I simply love.
So give these recipes a try and let me know how you get on! Next week I’ll be back with a bumper monthly round up of some fantastic sweet things you may want to try, info on my mini US book tour (ahhh!) and a fun recipe for paid subscribers involving rice krispies and tahini. Dreamy.
Benjamina x
FRANGIPANE TOAST
There are a couple of components that make up this dish but it all comes together pretty quickly. You can always make the compote in advance and then just assemble when needed. These are definitely best eaten on the day you make them whilst still a little warm.
RECIPE
serves 4
4 slices of sourdough or crusty white bread (smaller slices work best!)
4 apples (I used braeburn)
40g light brown sugar
70ml water
6 -8 fresh thyme sprigs, plus extra leaves to finish
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
20g unsalted butter
For the topping:
80g salted butter, softened
80g caster sugar
1 large egg
100g ground almonds
1 tbsp plain flour
50g flaked almonds
icing sugar, to dust
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan.
To make the apple compote, peel and core 3 of the apples. Chop them up roughly into small pieces and add them to a small saucepan with the sugar, thyme, vanilla and water. Cook gently for 8-10 minutes until the apples have softened and started to break down. Stir in the butter and mash the apples a little with the back of a spoon. You still want the mixture to be a little chunky. Set aside to cool.
To make the frangipane, add the butter and sugar to a bowl and mix well until smooth. (No need for a stand mixer, I normally just do it by hand) It doesn’t need to be pale and fluffy, just well combined.
Mix in the egg followed by the almonds and flour. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag if using.
Arrange the bread on a baking tray and top each slice with some apple compote. Cut your remaining apple into quarters and thinly slice into half moons. Place a few slices on top of the compote and top with some frangipane. (You probably won’t use all of the apple). The frangipane doesn’t need to completely cover the apples; it’ll spread a little as it bakes so don’t worry about making it look perfect.
Top with a generous sprinkle of flaked almonds and bake for 20-25 minutes until the frangipane is lightly browned.
Let it cool a little before dusting with icing sugar, topping with a bit more fresh thyme and serving warm.
APPLE & THYME FRANGIPANE TART
This is one of my favourite tarts to make and very easy to customise. In autumn I’ll swap the thyme for sage and in summer I’ll use a cherry jam with fresh rosemary or tarragon. Serve warm with a dollop of crème fraîche or if you’re that way inclined, as I am, try it with some cold custard. It works!
