Cranberry & Cornmeal Frangipane Tart with Pink Peppercorn
Cranberry & Cornmeal Frangipane Tart with Pink Peppercorn
Courtesy of Susannah Gebhart, OWL Bakery
This tart is a vibrant, light dessert that is also excellent for tea time. Make your pie pastry and frangipane ahead of time to be able to assemble in just a few minutes and bake while you’re enjoying your company. If you refrigerate your frangipane, pull out two hours ahead of time for it to come to room temperature.
Check out more mouthwatering treats courtesy of Susannah Gebhart of OWL Bakery.
Pie Pastry
(Yields 2 Shells)
3/4 cup water
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1/3 cup heirloom whole wheat flour
2¼ cup all-purpose flour {or substitute 325 g. gluten-free baking mix, such as Bob’s Red Mill}
1/2 tsp. + 1 pinch salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
5 Tbsp. butter, softened
12 Tbsp. butter, cold, cut into ½-inch pieces
Cornmeal Frangipane
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cups sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. honey
3/4 cup almond flour
1/3 cup heirloom corn flour, toasted
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. pink peppercorns, ground
Assembly
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 Tbsp. pink peppercorns, whole for garnish
Demerara sugar
Confectioner’s sugar (optional)
For the Pie Pastry:
Combine water and apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice) in a pitcher and refrigerate.
In a bowl, combine flours, salt, and baking powder. Add softened butter and rub in by hand until incorporated evenly. Refrigerate flour and butter mixture for at least 30 minutes.
Gently toss the cold butter into the cold flour mixture, and quickly pinch the pieces until they flatten slightly.
With a wooden spoon or a bowl scraper, add cold water and vinegar mixture in 2 tablespoon increments, tossing just to incorporate. When you can squeeze a handful of dough in your hand, and it forms a cohesive mass, stop adding water. Do not worry if some areas are wetter or drier.
Dump all of the dough onto the counter and, with the heel of your palm, smear the dough on the counter. Using a bench scraper or spatula, cut and stack the dough into a long 5-inch strip. Cut the dough again and stack until you get a shorter rectangle, then cut in half and stack again, forming a square. Cut in half one more time. Press the dough into two even circles and wrap tightly in food wrap or place in a bowl, covered, and refrigerate a minimum of one hour or until ready to use.
For the Cornmeal Frangipane:
In a stand mixer with a paddle, cream butter, sugar, and salt. Add honey. Add one half of the almond and corn flours and mix on low. Add remaining flours, and continue mixing until all flour is incorporated. With mixer running, add eggs one at a time. Add the pink peppercorn at the end.
For the Assembly:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out cold pie dough to ¼-inch thick. Set it in a 9-inch tart pan, making sure all corners are pressed in. Trim the top flush with the edge of the tart pan. Spread frangipane in an even layer on the bottom, and press in the cranberries so they nestle in slightly, but are not totally submerged. The frangipane will puff some, and you want the vibrant berries to remain exposed. Sprinkle lightly with demerara sugar. Bake for 30 minutes until set in the center.
After depanning your tart, while it’s slightly warm, dust with powdered sugar, which will dissolve only in the craters left by the cranberries. Sprinkle with whole pink peppercorns.