Almond and Fruit Tart (from Rosa's Farm Country Cooking) with photo

[Amy :-)]

Almond and Fruit Tart

PASTRY
This mixture makes 2 x 380g discs of pastry. You only need one of these for this recipe. The other can be wrapped in glad wrap and frozen for up to 2 months.

125g icing sugar
220g cold butter
375g plain flour
2 egg yolks, cold

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees and grease a tart tin (preferably one with a loose bottom, but I didn't have one so I used a flan pan).
2. Add sugar, butter and flour to TMX bowl. Pulse the Turbo button 4-5 times. Scrape down sides of bowl and pulse another 5 times or until mixture is coarse.
3. Add egg yolks and pulse the Turbo button again, more quickly this time. Keep pulsing until mixture is smooth and comes together in your fingertips.
4. Divide pastry into two 380g discs. Roll out one disc on a lightly floured surface. Gently place into tart tin, press into edges and trim any excess. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
5. After the 20 minutes, line the pastry with baking paper and weigh down with pastry weights, dried beans or lentils. Blind bake for 10 minutes and then remove from oven, take out pastry weights and paper, prick pastry with a fork, and bake for a further 5-7 minutes until golden brown.
6. Set pastry aside to cool to room temperature.

FILLING
250g butter, softened
250g caster sugar (I used brown sugar to give a caramel flavour. This went nicely with the almonds and apple)
4 eggs
250g almond meal
50g plain flour
Fruit of choice, at room temperature (I used stewed apple and defrosted blueberries)
50g flaked almonds

1. Beat butter and sugar for 10 seconds/speed 4. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat again until combined and light and fluffy.
2. With TMX running on speed 4, add eggs one at a time through hole in lid. Allow to mix for a few seconds between each, and then leave to mix for 20-30 seconds after the last egg, scraping down sides of bowl if necessary.
3. Add almond meal and flour. Beat for 20 seconds/speed 4, scrape down sides of bowl and beat again until combined.
4. Pour mixture into cooled pastry case. (I spooned all of my mixture in but it started to ooze over the edges of my flan pan as I pushed the fruit on top, so I spooned some out again.)
5. Press fruit into top of mixture and sprinkle with flaked almonds. Bake for about 1 hour or until firm in the centre.

NOTES
You can use any type of fruit for this recipe. Some of Rosa's suggestions are peaches, mulberries, pears, blood plums, sour cherries, or prunes soaked in Vincotto. I stewed a full kilo of apples but, as you can see from the photo, I didn't use anywhere near that many. I'd say you only need 1-2 cups of fruit, unless you want to leave some of the mixture out and use more fruit.

The first 4 photos are pre-baking. I'll post some more of the baked product soon.

Members' comments
Tam - Well, just have this flan in the oven now and I can't wait to try it. I cheated though. I was actually making mini quiches and had a sheet and a half of frozen shortcrust pastry left over and  a glut of apples in the fridge so I thought Apple Flan!!!! The almond mixture took about 2 mins to make and I just peeled and cored the apples and didn't bother about stewing them so all in all it was super quick.

[Amy :-)]

Here is the last pre-baking photo....

[*suzanne*]

yummy Amy looks great and I'm going to make it next Sunday to take to mum's, I don't have enough time to do it  today, it looks so pretty xxx

[Amy :-)]

Thanks Suzanne

[Emme]

Amy, that looks fantastic.  Thankyou 

Marie

[judydawn]

Lovely tart Amy.

[Amy :-)]

Thanks Judy And thanks Marie, it was my pleasure

Here is a photo of the baked tart. Will take another photo when I cut it

[snappy]

Looks amazing Amy, like a work of art!

[Amy :-)]

Thanks snappy I don't want to cut into it because it looks so pretty!

[CreamPuff63]

Yum, spectacular looking dish Amy - you must be hanging out for a taste!

[Amy :-)]

Thanks CP Gotta eat my greens first!

[JulieO]

Fantastic looking tart Amy, very artistic! 

[Amy :-)]

Thanks Julie, I'm honoured you think so!!

[Kimmyh]

Wow Amy that looks awesome. Bet it tastes great too.

[Amy :-)]

Thanks Kimmy, it was delicious

The filling is beautifully moist. The pastry was perfect. The apples and blueberries on top add a nice sweetness and the flaked almonds add a nice crunch to the top. All in all, a very excellent tart