A Halva And Cherry Frangipane Tart Recipe To Try At Home

A unique recipe to delight friends and family this season …

It’s not often you find someone with a similar mind to your own, but my friend Clare Cole is one (and no we are not sisters!). This recipe sums up our days cooking together. We had set out to test recipes for an upcoming event but, while shopping, decided we’d make something sweet for ourselves too. Cherries had just come into season and looked too delicious to pass up, and a tub of halva by the till created this combination. Halva is a Middle Eastern version of fudge made with sesame paste, sugar, spices, and nuts. If you haven’t tried it before, I highly recommend it. If you can’t get it, don’t worry — the tart works perfectly without it. @kittycoles

Ingredients

For the pastry:
• 250g plain flour
• 125g unsalted butter, cubed and fridge cold
• 2 tbsp of icing sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp of white vinegar
• 3 tbsp of ice-cold water

For the frangipane:
• 100g soft butter
• 75g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 110g ground almonds
• 30g toasted sesame seeds
• Zest of one lemon
• 70g halva (or however much you want, bare in mind it’s very sweet so reduce the caster sugar if adding more)
• A handful of flaked almonds

For the cherries in syrup:
• 200g cherries
• 3 tbsp of caster sugar
• 150ml water
• 1/2 tsp of almond extract (optional)
• Juice of half a lemon

Method

1. In a bowl, rub the butter into the flour with your hands, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the icing sugar and salt. Add the vinegar and water, bringing it together into a dough. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Roll out the pastry to a one euro coin thickness and line a 22cm tart tin. Blind bake with baking beans for 15 minutes, then remove beans and bake for another 5-10 minutes until lightly golden. Cool slightly.

3. For the frangipane, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well. Fold in the ground almonds, toasted sesame seeds, and lemon zest and crumbled halva chunks.

4. Spread the frangipane over the tart shell evenly. Poke in a few cherries then sprinkle with extra sesame seeds and flaked almonds. Bake for 30 minutes until golden and set.

5. Meanwhile start to make the cherries in syrup by removing the stones from each. Add the sugar and water to a saucepan and lightly bubble on a medium heat until slightly thickened. Add in the cherries with the almond extract and juice of half a lemon and bubble for a further 2-3 minutes so the cherries have warmed through but aren’t collapsed. Set aside.

6. Allow the tart to sit for a minimum of 15 minutes before serving (this can also be made the day before and warmed through or served cold).

7. Serve with the cherries and plenty of fresh cream or crème fraîche.

Final Call! Book Your Seat At Our Spring Kitchen Event

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Saturday April 5th