It's necessary in loquat season to make the most of this fruit. This one is a sweet suggestion even for those who often turn up their noses at these orange wonders.

First of all, what is a frangipane?
Many out there will never have heard of this designation, or they may have heard it but are not sure what it is.
Frangipane is a creamy preparation that traditionally consists of an almond flour, butter, sugar, and egg mixture, with almond, butter, and sugar being used in equal amounts.

Sometimes variations are presented, such as other nuts in place of almonds, vegetable kinds of butter, and other varieties of sugar or sweeteners.


This name has been known since 1674 and derives from an Italian marquis, Muzio Frangipani, who lived in France in the 17th century and who created an almond-scented perfume very famous in the court of Louis XIII, later inspiring confectioners to add almonds and almond extract to pies and pastries fillings.

For those who follow the blog, it is not the first time that I present a dessert where I use this preparation, as you can see in this Puff pastry with almonds and figs.

The frangipane base can be used with many fruits, but my opinion is that it works especially well with fruits that are not very juicy and not very sweet, as is the case with loquats.

The ingredients

Shortcrust pastry - for this recipe I used a store-bought pastry, but you can use another pie base to taste.
Loquats - in my fruit bowl I had only 6 large units, but you can add more depending on the size of the fruit.
Sugar - white sugar was used here, but it can be substituted for brown or coconut, remembering that the color of the frangipane in these cases will be darker.
Almond flour - it is not necessary to be fine almond flour, you can use almonds ground in any food processor.
Butter - traditionally, the 3 main ingredients of frangipane are added with the same weight, but I thought that 100gr of butter would be too much for this pie, considering that almonds also have natural fat.
Egg - its presence serves to bind all the ingredients of the filling.
Honey or Jam - is optional, and serves to give the pie a brighter surface. The amount of honey (which can also be replaced by a little agave) or jam to use is between 1 to 2 tablespoons.

Loquat frangipane tart recipe

Ingredients

1 package of shortcrust pastry
6 to 8 large loquats
100 g of sugar
100 g of almond flour
3 tablespoons of butter
1 large egg
Honey or jam for brushing (optional)

1. In a bowl, beat the egg together with the sugar.
2. Add the softened butter and almond flour, mixing well.
3. Roll the dough over the tart pan, prickling the bottom with a fork or the tip of a knife.
4. Pour the cream over the dough, smoothing the surface.
5. Reserve in the fridge.
6. Meanwhile, peel the loquats and remove the pits.
7. Cut each loquat into slices.
8. Arrange the loquat slices, pressing each piece a little over the pie filling.
9. Bake at 150ºC for about 30 to 35 minutes.
10. While the pie is still hot, brush the surface with a little honey or peach/apricot compote to glaze it up.

Notes on how to make

• So that the loquats don't oxidize, there are 2 options to consider: peel the fruit and sprinkle it with a little lemon juice, or the technique I usually use, which is to put the loquats that I peel in a bowl of water and drain them when I am going to use them. 
• In the pie you see in the photos, only 6 very large loquats were used, which, after being peeled and pitted, were each divided into 8 thin slices. However, depending on the quantity and liking, they can be cut into larger portions and/or different shapes.
•  If halfway through cooking the oven starts to burn the surface of the pie, it is best to place an aluminum foil on top of it until the end of the set time.
• Remember to check if the crust is fully cooked, especially if you're using another type of crust.
• Before brushing with honey or jam, add a few drops of water to make it more liquid and easier to spread over the surface of the pie without damaging it.