Last week, you’ll remember that I set aside a small bowlful of fresh redcurrants while I made the rest into jelly.
What I had in mind for this extra was to make a redcurrant mazarin tart using a recipe I found in Secrets of Scandinavian Cooking… Scandilicious by Signe Johansen.
It’s bit of a long-winded recipe to follow – the base, the almond paste (shop bought marzipan is much too hard) and the filling. But do give it a try, it’s worth the effort!
The amount of almond paste that’s produced is slightly over what is needed. I plan on rolling the leftovers into little balls and then dipping them in melted dark chocolate; perfect little after-dinner petits fours!
The original recipe doesn’t call for leaving the tart in the oven while it cools, but I found mine needed a bit of a longer cook and it also helped stop the centre from sinking under the weight of all that fruit.
The sweetness of the almond paste was a lovely match for the sourness of the redcurrants, balancing each other out. A little dollop of fraîche on the side is all you need to serve with it.
Pin the recipe here to try later!
Redcurrant mazarin tart
Ingredients
For the pastry base
- 200 g/7oz spelt or plain flour
- 100 g/3½ oz butter
- 50 g/2oz caster sugar
- 1 egg
For the almond paste
- 150 g/5oz ground almonds
- 200 g/7oz icing sugar
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 1 egg white
For the filling
- 340 g/12oz almond paste
- 100 g/3½ oz butter softened
- 100 g/3½ oz plain flour or cornflour
- 6 tbsp caster sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
- 300 g/11oz redcurrants rinsed and de-stalked
Instructions
For the pastry
- In a food processor, pulse the flour and butter together, or mix by hand in a large bowl, until it resembles breadcrumbs
- Add in the sugar and then the egg, and continue to combine until the dough comes together
- Cover the pastry with cling film and shape into a disc about 1cm/½ in thick
- Put into the fridge for an hour, or the freezer for 20-30 minutes
- Make the almond paste while you wait for the pastry to chill
For the almond paste
- Put the ground almonds, icing sugar, almond extract and egg white into a food processor and combine until a thick ball of dough is formed
- Turn the paste out onto a work surface and knead it a few times. Roll it into a log and wrap in cling film until you're ready to make the filling
- Any unused paste will keep for a month in the fridge or 6 months in the freezer
For the pastry pt II
- Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/Gas mark 5
- Roll out the chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface until it is about 3mm/⅛ in thick (or as thin as you can roll it before it starts to crack) and about 30cm/12in in diameter
- Lift the rolled pastry into a 23cm/9in pie dish, cake tin or tart case (about 3cm-4cm/1¼ in-1½ in deep) and gently press into the sides and edges
- Trim any excess pastry from the rim. Prick the base of the pastry case with a fork, and blind bake on the middle shelf for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown
- Prepare the filling while you wait for the pastry case to cool
For the filling
- Put all the filling ingredients apart from the redcurrants in a food mixer
- Combine until the mazarin is smooth and even, and all the ingredients have been fully incorporated
- Turn the oven temperature up to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas mark 6
- Pour the mazarin filling into the cooled pastry case and carefully sprinkle the redcurrants over the top, gently pushing some of them into the mazarin mixture
- Bake on the middle shelf for 20-25 minutes until golden and well risen
- Turn off the oven, leave the oven door ajar and allow the tart to cool slowly in the oven
