Dolce de Leche Frangipane Tart may be the ultimate queen of all tarts. This fabulous tart of a lemon pastry layered with rich dolce de leche and filled with delicious almond frangipane is a showstopper. This is one of those desserts that simply wows. It looks fantastic, and if you love almond filling in a croissant, this is the dessert you have been looking for. Over the years, I have made several frangipane tarts or Bakewell Tarts for you British! I have loved them all, especially the apricot one. But this one with dolce de leche tops them all. A Dolce de Leche Frangipane Tart is pure heaven. All you need is a thin layer of rich, decadent dulce de leche spread on the bottom to make this tart sing to the angels. The combination of caramel and almonds just can’t be beat.
Frangipane is made with ground almonds, eggs, butter, and sugar, that is all. So really, it is simple, and if you have a food processor, it takes just a few minutes. But it tastes incredible like you have slaved for hours. The crust for this recipe also is easy. There is no rolling, just pressed into the tart shell. It does need a few hours to sit in the freezer, but you can make it ahead and pop it in the oven when you are ready to make this divine tart. Making the dulce de leche in an instant pot also makes this easy. This recipe makes an 11-inch tart with a removable bottom. I was lucky to get one as a gift many years ago, and it is the perfect size. You can find one at many gourmet stores or on Amazon.
I made dulce de leche for the first time in a post here, and I’m now obsessed. This recipe is a fabulous way to use a can. It uses the whole can for this recipe. Of course, you can buy it already premade, like here on Amazon, but if you have an instant pot, it’s a breeze to make, and you can make several cans at once that are shelf stable and last for months.
This Dolce de Leche Frangipane Tart is the perfect thing to serve for the holidays. It looks fabulous and tastes as good as it looks. I hope you make this for your next gathering. It’s worth the effort. Ok, that is all for now. Please think of others in your choices. Without each other, it makes getting through these crazy times much more difficult. Until next time!
- 5 tablespoons butter cold cut into chunks
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cream
- 10 oz or 1 1/3 cup dulce de Leche the amount from 1 can homemade or use store-bought
- 12 oz blanched almonds whole or slivered. About 2 ½ cups
- 20 tablespoons butter or 2 ½ sticks butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- Powdered sugar for finishing
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In a food processor, place the butter, powdered sugar, ground coriander, and salt. Process until the mixture is thoroughly creamed together.
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To the creamed mixture, add the egg yolks, lemon zest, and vanilla. Process until combined.
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Add in the flour and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Try not to over-mix.
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Sprinkle the cold cream over the flour and butter crumbs. Pulse just a few times to begin to combine. But do not process it into a ball. It should still be loose and crumbly.
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Turn the mixture onto a work surface and gather it into a ball blending as you go to make a smooth dough. The key is not to overwork the dough, as it will become tough. Shape the dough into a log shape, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it chill for at least 1 hour to relax.
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Slice the dough into ¼ inch slices. Arrange in single layer on the bottom of an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press and smooth it out until you have a uniform crust coming all the way up the side of the tart pan. Try not to have too thick of a bottom corner near the edge.
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Prick a few places on the bottom of the crust with a fork.
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Place the crust into the freezer and freeze for 1 hour or even overnight
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To Make the Frangipane Filling and Finish the Tart
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Preheat the oven to 350°.
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When the oven has preheated: place the frozen tart shell directly from the freezer into the oven.
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Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is beginning to become lightly golden brown.
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Remove the baked tart shell from the oven and let it cool for 20 minutes on a rack. Meanwhile, you make the frangipane filling.
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Turn the oven down to 325°
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Pulse the blanched almonds in a food processor until you have fine ground almonds. Be careful not to continually process, as the ground almonds will become almond butter if you process too far.
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Transfer the ground almonds to a mixing bowl and set aside. No need to clean the bowl.
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In the bowl of your food processor, add the butter and the sugar. Process until light and creamy. You want to create a bit of an emulsion, so process it for a few minutes.
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Add in the eggs and process until smooth.
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Using a spatula, fold the butter mixture into the ground almonds. Continue to fold until the almonds are thoroughly incorporated.
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Let the frangipane chill for 10 minutes to firm up slightly.
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Reserve 2 tablespoons of the dulce de leche. Spread the remaining evenly over the bottom of the cooled tart shell.
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Carefully spread the frangipane over the dolce de leche.
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Sprinkle the sliced almonds on top of the frangipane.
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Bake the tart for 45 minutes or until the tart is golden brown around the edges and is still slightly soft in the center.
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Let cool for at least 45 minutes before serving.
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When ready to serve, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of dulce de leche with 2 tablespoons of hot water to thin it out.
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Drizzle the thinned dulce de leche over the finished and cooled tart
