In collaboration with Brixton Windmill and using their organic wholemeal flour
For those who don’t know it, I have a lot of love for wholemeal flour (and wholemeal ingredients in general). And if you don’t have a lot of love for it, you simply should. Wholemeal flour desserts are just wonderful.
Why?
Well, they simple have that little bit extra special given by the flour of course, which adds a nutty, rustic and comforting flavour that always brings me back to happy autumn memories, as well as a firmer texture that works incredibly well for some baked goods like tarts and pies.
Coincidentally, this blueberry and almond frangipane tart happens to be the perfect start-of-the-autumn-season tart for you.
As for the filling, wholemeal flour gets along well with different fruit and veg (although not all of them). Luckily, it’s still September and berries are still in season after all, and they’re the perfect match. Particularly blueberries, sweet but with that hint of tart at the same time.
And almond. But almond goes well with everything, or pretty much.
If this wasn’t enough good news, this tart isn’t too laborious either, and you will only need a bit of extra love and care in the decoration to transform it into a proper showstopper. Accompany it with some crème fraiche or plain yoghurt for an even sharper, fresher combination.
Brixton Windmill’s wholemeal flour is available for you to buy at the Brixton Windmill Centre popup café in London (UK) when it is open and at open days and other events where the windmill is represented. When Brixton Windmill is closed, you can still buy it from some local stockists.
If you’re not based in London I’d definitely recommend you to go on a quest to find your closest local mill or buy your flours locally to support small businesses in your area.
Makes a 20cm tart
Ingredients
FOR THE PASTRY
- 250g Brixton Windmill wholemeal flour, largest brans sifted out
- 20g corn flour
- 140g cold butter, cubed
- 80g dark muscovado sugar
- 30g icing sugar
- 60g egg yolk
- 2-3 tsp cold water
- 2g salt
- zest of 1 lemon
FOR THE ALMOND FRANGIPANE
- 60g butter, softened
- 60g caster sugar
- 60g almond flour
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp almond essence
FOR THE BLUEBERRY COMPOTE
- 600g fresh blueberries
- 100g caster sugar
- 1g salt
- 30ml lemon juice
- 20ml water
FOR THE DECORATION
- 300g fresh blueberries
- neutral glaze (optional), I use Fresca Frutta Gelèe by Fabbri
Method
MAKE THE SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY
- Combine the flour, corn flour, sugars and salt in a bowl. Drop in the cold butter cubes and rub the butter into the flour (alternatively you can use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment) until you get to a sandy and crumbly consistency.
- Add egg yolks and lemon zest and mix the dough with a wooden spoon (or in the stand mixer on low). Add the cold water one teaspoon at a time. As soon as you see the pastry comes together, stop mixing, flatten, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least two hours, or until ready to use.
MAKE THE ALMOND FRANGIPANE
- Combine butter and sugar in a bowl and beat on medium speed with an electric whisk for 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Pour in the egg and almond essence and beat for a minute more until smooth. Add the almond flour and fold it into the mixture with a spatula. Transfer to a piping bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until ready to use.
MAKE THE BLUEBERRY COMPOTE
- Take a large pan and combine all the ingredients. Bring to the boil over a medium heat and cooking for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check the consistency and, if still too liquid, boil for a few minutes more. You want the compote to be fairly thick. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely. Use straight away or keep refrigerated in an airtight container.
BAKE, ASSEMBLE AND DECORATE THE TART
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Take the pastry out of the fridge and leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes. Roll out the pastry to a 4mm thickness between two sheets of baking parchment. Take also the frangipane cream out of the fridge.
- To line the tart tin, roll the pastry up on the rolling pin and unroll it over it. Lift the edges and encourage the pastry to reach the bottom of the tin. Using a piece of extra pastry, press the rolled pastry into the tart tin, to get all the angles and corners neatly lined. Roll the rolling pin over the tin to cut the extra overhanging pastry. Adjust the thickness of the sides again and trim the last extra edge with a sharp knife.
- Refrigerate the tart base for 10 minutes. Take the tart case out of the fridge, prick the base and sides with a fork and pipe the frangipane cream all over the base. If necessary, spread it evenly with a spatula. Transfer the tart tin onto a metal tray and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Remove the tart from the oven. The frangipane may have puffed up a bit, but it will flatten down while cooling. Once cooled down, spread the whole batch of blueberry compote all over the frangipane layer.
- Decorate the top with fresh blueberries and brush with neutral glaze. To achieve a great look, place them neatly starting from the centre and working towards the edge,
- Once done, spray or brush the whole surface of the tart with clear glaze (if using), otherwise using some water or some honey, brush the pastry rim and, with the help of a teaspoon, coat it very carefully with the pistachio nibs. Enjoy!
Brixton Windmill is excited to be collaborating with Fabio in this ‘Recipe of the Month’ project.
We first noticed his Instagram feed a few weeks ago and were impressed by his creativity, great attention to presentation and the quality of his food photography (shot on a camera phone).
Buon appetito!