Rosemary, Black Grape, & Chestnut Frangipane Tart

A sweet, nutty, woodsy little number to close out the year's darkest months. Rosemary pastry crust, black currant jam, & salted chestnut frangipane, whole black grapes, & crème fraîche whipped cream.

Mid-February at last! While winter doesn’t vex me terribly, I do find the January/February/March succession to be a bit of a drag. After the bustle and pageantry of the holidays, the remainder of winter can be a bit redundant. So, here is a tart to keep you occupied as we wait for spring sunshine to return.

This tart’s base is a rosemary pâte sablèe, brightened with a bit of lemon zest. The base does need to be chilled for at least 30 minutes before rolling out but does not need to be blind baked, which makes for a shorter total time spent in the kitchen.

The base is then covered in a generous layer of black currant jam. You can use grape jelly here instead (or honestly any jam you’d like!) I visually prefer the dark jam with the dark grapes, but, this is your tart after all.

The star of the show is the chestnut frangipane. If you are unfamiliar with frangipane, it is the delicious almond paste used in French bakes. The filling in almond croissants is an easy example. Frangipane is made by combining powdered sugar, almond flour (finely ground almonds), eggs, and a bit of flour to make a thick paste. For this tart, I’ve replaced almond flour with chestnut flour. Chestnut has a much richer flavor profile than almond, eliciting a more complex tart that pairs well with the woody earthiness of the rosemary. If you are unable to get your hands on chestnuts or chestnut flour, almond or other ground nut flour will work 1:1.

The tart is finished with whole black grapes. During cooking, they burst slightly but retain most of their juices, yielding a lovely textural contrast to the firmer aspects of the tart. I also think they just look stunning.

The tart is topped with quenelles of crème fraîche whipped cream and a bit more black currant jam. It is best served chilled and will keep well refrigerated for 2-3 days.