Ingredients

Walnut Crust

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup finely ground California walnuts
• 3/4 cup flour

Walnut Frangipane

• 1 1/2 cups California walnuts
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, at room temperature

Topping

• 6 tablespoons apricot preserves
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 ripe pear, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 cup blueberries
• 12 raspberries

Time to Begin Baking
Now that you have all of your ingredients, it’s time to get baking! As you prepare the table with fresh flowers, the smell of a freshly baked California Walnut Frangipane Fruit Tart will have everyone’s mouth watering. With these easy-to-follow steps, you and your guests will be enjoying a tasty dessert in no time!

Instructions

• To prepare crust, cream sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium high speed until pale and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed.
• Add walnuts and flour and mix on low until just combined. Shape into a ball and cut into 6 equal pieces. Using fingertips, firmly press dough onto the bottom and sides of 6 (3-inch) tart pans with removable bottoms. Chill for 30 minutes to an hour.
• Preheat oven to 350℉. Line each crust with a piece of parchment or foil that is slightly larger than the pan. Fill with pie weights or dried beans to just cover the bottom. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned; remove parchment or foil and weights and let cool.
• To prepare the walnut frangipane, place walnuts, sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt in a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides at least once. Add egg and process just until combined.
• After the crusts have cooled, spoon equal amounts of filling into each crust. Smooth the tops with a spoon and bake for 20 minutes or until the frangipane has lightly browned on top and is slightly domed; let cool.
• Bring preserves and lemon juice to a simmer in a small saucepan, then turn off heat.
• Decorate the top of each tart with a few slices of pear, a small handful of blueberries, and a couple of raspberries, then brush lightly with apricot glaze to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.