NECTARINE ALMOND FRANGIPANE TART

Nectarine Almond Frangipane Tart image

Yield Makes 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 24

Ingredients

For pastry dough
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons water
For frangipane filling
7 to 8 oz almond paste (not marzipan or almond filling)
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 lb firm-ripe nectarines
For glaze
1/3 cup peach preserves
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon Disaronno Amaretto (optional)
Special Equipment
a pastry or bench scraper; an 11- by 8- by 1-inch rectangular or 11-inch round fluted tart pan with a removable bottom; pie weights or raw rice

Steps:

Make dough:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 375°F.
Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter and zest and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Add yolks, vanilla, and water and pulse just until incorporated and dough begins to form large clumps.
Turn dough out onto a work surface and divide into 4 portions. Smear each portion once with heel of your hand in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together using scraper and form into a ball, then flatten into a rectangle.
Put dough in tart pan and pat out with well-floured fingers into an even layer over bottom and up sides so it extends about 1/4 inch above rim. Chill 30 minutes.
Lightly prick tart shell all over with a fork, then line with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake shell until golden around edge, about 15 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake until shell is golden all over, about 15 minutes more. Cool shell completely in pan on a rack. Leave oven on.
Make filling:
Beat together almond paste, butter, sugar, and almond extract in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then mix in flour and salt.
Halve nectarines, discarding pits, then cut into 1/4-inch-wide wedges.
Spread frangipane filling evenly in tart shell. Stand nectarine wedges, skin sides down, decoratively in filling, being careful not to push too far into filling.
Bake tart until frangipane is puffed and golden and edges of nectarines are golden brown, about 1 1/4 hours.
Make glaze:
Heat preserves and water in a 1-quart saucepan over moderately high heat, stirring, until preserves are melted. Remove from heat and force through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, discarding solids. Stir in Amaretto (if using).
Brush top of hot tart generously with glaze and cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Remove side of pan and cool tart completely, about 2 hours.