3am and I’m sitting in an armchair next to Little Monkey’s hospital bed when he broke his leg. The armchair was my bed for the duration, swamped by blankets I’d made a nest for myself so I could keep one eye closed for sleep and one eye watching carefully over the little fella as he slept.
In my hand however was a the most delicious thing I had encountered for quite a while. Not hospital food, but a frangipane fruit tart. Brought in earlier, by my very thoughtful sister from Brasserie Bread.
I’m not sure whether it was the fact that I was eating it at 3am that made it delicious, or it really was the best darn tasting tart I had ever tasted. Either way, it was superb and I couldn’t get enough of it. Fast forward 2 months, and that hopsital stay is happily a distant crappy foggy memory, but that tart….
That tart, was the kind of tart that makes you sit back, and let those taste buds reminisce. I put the tart in my, will have to give that a crack one day… thought pile and then went about my business. Until Amy at Tiny Tea Room posted on a pastry-less almond Pear Tart. Now with Amy’s stunning photography I’m sure she could make a white bread cheese sandwich appealing, but non-the less that sweet almondy goodness was brought back to my mind, front and centre…. and no pastry? Even quicker!
I wanted not crazy sweet, vanilla-y tones, and a gritty type texture….oh and easy. Let’s play…
Blueberry Frangipane
150gms softened butter
1/2 cup raw sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
3 eggs
150gms almond meal* (1 1/2 cups)
100gms course semolina (1/2 cup)
125gms blueberries
Cream butter and sugar together, Add the vanilla and eggs. Stir through almond meal and semolina. Blueberries on top. Bake in a greased, floured tin (approx 23cm square) at 180C for about 30minutes or until light golden.
* I lightly toasted whole almonds, skin on, and then blitzed them in the blender to make the almond meal.
Verdict? It didn’t quite match that 3am frangipane fruit tart but I was happy with it. Super easy, and really quick. I think this one might become a regular favourite. You can easily up the sugar if you want it sweeter, and swap the blueberries for other seasonal fruit.
cityhippyfarmgirl 
no pastry always makes me happy – pastry is nice but I can’t be bothered – but I do love frangipani so will be bookmarking this – shame the blueberries have disappeared for the year – we are missing them – glad you kept yours in good order on the tart 🙂
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Johanna I love that you noticed my painstaking alignment of the blueberries 🙂
I tucked away quite a few lots of blueberries in the freezer for rainy days, so I can extend the season a little.
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I’m going to have to stop coming here when I’m having afternoon tea and all I’ve got is a couple of Anzac biscuits without enough sugar in them (the last lot had too much)… and what a wonderful sister!
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She definitely got bonus points for bringing the cakes in.
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This sounds great 🙂 I love blueberry desserts. I think there’s something about food eaten at significant times (good or bad…) that makes the taste on a different level to ‘normal’ food. So if you got even close to your 3am experience, you probably did well!
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I’ll have to keep tweaking to get to that 3am tart… there are worse things to be doing though.
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Your tart looks fabulous. I love quick and easy recipes like this that produce a great result.
🙂 Mandy
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super duper easy Mandy.
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Your blueberry frangipane looks delish!
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Thanks Mel!
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I panicked when I started reading this post – oh no, not again! What a relief, you were just remembering a kind action and a delicious tart. Sounds good without the pastry, a nice quick and delicious sounding pud.
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No, no, no! We ARE not going down that route again. The kid has been wrapped in bubble wrap until he’s 18. We’ll unwrap him then.
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This sounds like bakewell tart without the pastry bottom – well sort of – delicious anyway – and a lifesaver – could do with a little corner for breakfast right now, but like the 3G Johanna says above – it would make me happy too and the blueberries are pouring in from all over Europe now. I haven’t seen any English ones yet, we get so many different ones in the shops, I like the Polish ones and the Spanish ones particularly. My one little bush in the garden has a few fruit coming, but it’s still flowering at the same time 🙂
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Joanna what are you doing to me? You mean I could have matched the frangipane with jam?! You know I’m going to have to give the Bakewell Tart a go now don’t you. I’ve heard of them, I may have even eaten one before, but after googling the pictures- how could I not try and make one! You are like my fairy godmother for baking suggestions 🙂
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I love how simple that sounds. I might need to try this as a quick little after school treat for the kiddies tomorrow afternoon.
It is strange as I know that blueberries are out of season but one of our bushes has half a dozen flowers on it. I’m wondering if it is because we have had such a warm autumn.
Thanks for the Tiny Tea Room link. I know what I will be doing this evening.
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Amy’s site is lovely, have fun reading through.
…and if you make frangipane, do let me know how it turned out and what fruit you paired it up with.
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I have decided to go with blueberries also as I found a bag of them in the freezer. It’s in the oven now and smells amazing.
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When I had my son, I thought a turkey sandwich that I got after 36 hours labor was the best sandwich I had ever had…I know the feeling about not being sure if it really is good or if it’s the whole concept of hunger and stress that makes something so delectable!
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Ahh, I remember that first sandwich after labour too. I’m sure it had a golden glow around it!
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What a pretty photo, Brydie! And what a great sister you have – obviously one who also knows you very well! 🙂
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Yes, she does 🙂
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Wait, most food has a golden glow about it- doesn’t it?
This looks delish- I’m going to try adding some jam and a graham cracker crust. I don’t know why- I just want to make a graham cracker crust to go with it.
You did a great job aligning those berries, BTW!
😀
That is almost a joke- here we have flag cakes made with raspberries or strawberries and blueberries- all lined up to make the stars and stripes. I HATE making these cakes!
Mine always look like they droop- and I eat too many of the berries so there is a very loose line of design on the bottom of the cake. ARGH! I like your frangipane much, much better!
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paired up with a graham cracker crust and jam would be similar to the english bakewell tart that Joanna mentioned I think Heidi, and I think that would go down very well.
I just googled your flag cakes…somepeople go to a lot of effort!
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What is it about a diet that abslutely makes you crave sweet things? I’m getting inspired by this lovely dessert and reading the recipes for all the lovely treats in the Bourke St Bakery cookbook.
I can’t wait for the marathons to be over and then I’ll be able to splurge again!
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There are some lovely sweet recipes in that book isn’t there. Don’t tease yourself until after your marathons though. Stick to the bread section 🙂
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Just want you to know that I’ve made many of your recent posts – and they’ve all been winners (we especially liked the Pumpkin Dahl dish). And I’ll be making this luscious looking cake (would you guys call this a cake?).
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Doc thank you. I’m really thrilled that you’ve made a few and you’ve been happy with them. Actually super thrilled, and it’s always good to get feedback.
This frangipane cake/slice/thingy, call it what you will. Just thinking of you and sugar… I think you could easily ditch the sugar altogether and swap it for honey as well, and it should be a little lower in GI with all those almonds??
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Pretty new to the baking thing, but will give this one a crack. Sounds yummy and will use up the almonds I bought and none of the kids will subsequently touch. Glad there is a silver lining to the broken leg story x
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PS there is a bit of bloggy love going on between you and Tiny Tea Room. I can see why! She is all about almonds and pears in that post. Another little problem I have – the pear. I have a glut and no-one interested in eating them. Two problems solved! Thanks x
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Perfect! I’ll bet they will be delicious. The pears are good at the moment. I’ve been thinking about a ginger pear pudding…
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