I can’t say no to blackcurrants; whatever they are in I will like it. They have such a distinctive flavour and when I found some at the market I had to set about making a blackcurrant frangipane tart. This tart is a marriage of two of my favourite things: blackcurrants and sweet almond frangipane.
The best thing about this tart comes from using raw blackcurrants. As they cook in the frangipane filling they burst and become sweet and sticky. The blackcurrants retain their sharp berry flavour but taint the tart with splashes of deep purple impromptu jam. With autumn just around the corner I can’t think of anything else I would rather spoon into my face.
Top Tips
I always put a large piece of greaseproof paper into a tart for blind baking. This makes it easier to get the baking beans out. I gather the four corners of the paper together and remove all the beans at once. I usually tip them onto a baking tray to allow them to cool quickly without rolling away. See my recipe notes for alternatives if you don’t have baking beans.
If you want a neat looking tart you can trim the pastry edges. You can cut them off before you blind bake the tart case but I find I have too much shrinkage and end up with a very short sided pastry case! The alternative is to slice the edges off after the tart is baked. As I didn’t have much excess pastry I didn’t trim it this time and I really like the jagged edges.
Variations
Blackcurrants work really well in this tart because of their sharpness but other less sweet fruits like redcurrants or gooseberries would work too.
I have seen recipes which use other nuts instead of almonds for the frangipane and I’d like to give that a try. If you’re not keen on an almond filling you could try a custard based filling like the one I used for my Heritage Cherry Tart.
Blackcurrant Frangipane Tart
Equipment
- 20cm loose bottomed tart tin
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 120 g plain flour
- 60 g unsalted butter cold
- 2 tbsp cold water
- Pinch caster sugar
For the filling
- 75 g butter softened
- 150 g caster sugar
- 150 g ground almonds
- 2 eggs beaten
- 225 g blackcurrants washed, stalks and flowers removed
Instructions
- To make the pastry, mix together the butter and flour to make a breadcrumb texture. You can do this by hand with a knife and your fingers, or use a mixer.
- Slowly add the water, you may not need all of it, mixing the butter, flour and water together until you have a dough.
- Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
- Remove the pastry from the fridge. Dust a little flour over your worktop and a rolling pin. Roll the pastry out so that it is just larger than the tin, allowing enough to go up the sides.
- Lay the pastry into the tin and push it gently into the base and sides. Prick the base all over with a fork then put back into the fridge for another 30 minutes.
- While waiting for the pastry, make the frangipane filling.
- Beat the sugar, butter, almonds and eggs to make a paste. Add most of the blackcurrants to the almond mix and stir them in. Cover and chill the mix in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Preheat an oven to 190C.
- Remove the pastry case from the fridge and line it with greaseproof paper. Fill the tin with baking beans (see below) and put in the oven to blind bake for 15 minutes.
- Take the tart case out of the oven and carefully remove the baking beans and greaseproof paper.
- Spread the almond mixture into the tart case and put the tart back in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin. Scatter the remaining blackcurrants over the top of the tart. This tart is delicious served warm and it's also good cold.
Notes
Pin my Blackcurrant Frangipane Tart for later!
This Tart looks amazing and like You I never say no to blackcurrant. Thank you for sharing an amazing recipe.
Thanks Hasin!
This looks terrific! Blackcurrants have such a wonderful flavor. I don’t often cook with them, but love liqueur made from them. They’re not easy to find in my market, but I’m going to have to find some so I can make this — such a luscious recipe. Thanks!
I hope you can get hold of some John, you might have more luck finding them frozen rather than fresh.
I fell in love with black currant jelly when I was in Ireland! I wish we could find black currants around here as I know I’d adore your magnificent tart!!
Thanks Liz! You could try looking for them frozen?
I adore both black currants and frangipane. This looks absolutely irresistible!
Thanks Angie!
Caroline, I love a beautiful almond tart! And with black currants? Perfect! I agree with you, I love the rustic look of the tart (and mine shrink every time, so that’s what I do, too)
Thanks Laura, leaving the pastry like that also means extra pastry on some portions (which always somehow end up on my plate!) too!
I can’t even say hello to black currants — no one here carries them. [sad face] But when I saw this on Instagram, I wanted a piece immediately! What would be a good sub for black currants?
That’s a shame David, could you find them frozen? Anything tart would work well, redcurrants or gooseberries perhaps. Raspberries would be good too.
Growing currants and gooseberries is illegal in many states because of the White Pine Blister the plants carry. That is why they are so hard to find – and I have never seen them frozen anywhere! I guess I will go for raspberries!
I had no idea David! Raspberries are a good idea, not sure if you can get gooseberries but they might be worth a try too.
I don’t believe that I have every had black currents or frangipane. Looks really good though!
Thanks Judee, definitely give them both a try if you get the chance!
as if we needed other things working against us right now in america, we don’t have black currants! sigh. your tart looks glorious, even though i have to imagine how it tastes. 🙂
I’ve heard they’re hard to get hold of in the US, I didn’t know! Raspberries would be good to try.
It seems we’ve all fallen in love with your tart but have a problem with the currents. While we could substitute the fruit with another tart one, do you think we could swirl in some black current jam for a similar taste?
Hi Karen. I think adding some jam would be a good idea but you may need to cut the sugar down in the frangipane mix. Perhaps you could add some blackberries and some blackcurrant jam so you get a bit of both!
What a fabulous recipe this is, thanks Caroline.
I used blackberries out of choice. They were part of my fruit box order from ‘It’s your Go’ in Berkshire. Large, plump juicy blackberries which deserved to be used in a fitting manner, this was definitely it!
Because I was too busy during the working week to make the tart, it gets better, believe me; I soaked the blackberries in vodka with a little caster sugar, increased the quantity to a 3 egg tart and had a dish fit for royalty at the end of it. The recipe is now doing the rounds on social media and amongst my friendship circle offline too!
What a brilliant idea Emma! I love ‘It’s Your Go’, we used to get it when we were in Berkshire! I’m so pleased you made the tart and enjoyed it, thank you so much for sharing it with your friends and family too.
Well, that is lovely. I always love the sound of frangipane! That is a real winner for me. I don’t have baking beans, I always use my baking chickpeas, sort of.
Hi Chris, I know people who use lentils or dried beans in place of the ceramic baking beans. Whatever works to hold the pastry in place!
If using frozen Blackcurrants, would they need to be defrosted first or should they just go into the frangipane frozen?
I haven’t tried using frozen myself but I would defrost them first, they may add too much extra moisture and affect the setting of the filling otherwise.
Have made this quite a few times now and it is always fantastic. Looks beautiful and tastes delicious. Still good a few days after making if kept in the fridge. Goes well with gooseberry fool! Also works with frozen blackcurrants.
Thank you so much Penny! I love the sound of it with gooseberry fool, and great tip for using frozen blackcurrants!
I tried this the first time i have ever made pastry everything went well it turned out perfect very delicious with my home grown blackcurrants i will be making this again .
I’m so happy to hear that David! Thank you!