Deutsche Küche Cherry and Apple Frangipane Tarts

The fall edition of German week kicked off last week at Aldi, and the discount grocery store is filled to the brim with all kinds of German treats. Since Aldi has origins in Germany, it makes sense that they go all out with German foods a couple of times a year.

German foods — both savory and sweet — that I’ve spotted during German week in Aldi over the years include:

• Peanut puffs
• Doppel keks
• Strudel
• Schnitzel
• Cabbage and potato dishes
• Sweet mustard
• Whole grain mustard (a personal favorite)
• German style pickles
• Jaffa cakes
• Cream cakes
• Indulgent cakes

Aldi stocks so many different German foods during this time of year that I’m still slowly working my way through trying them all. Most recently, I picked up these frangipane tarts to sample.

Deutsche Küche Cherry Frangipane Tarts or Apple Frangipane Tarts cost $3.69 each at the time of publication. These come in a 14-ounce box in the freezer aisle. These are a product of Germany. The boxes describe these as either “cherry filling and almond cake topped with cherries and roasted almond pieces in a shortcrust pastry” or “apple filling and almond cake topped with apples and roasted almond pieces in a shortcrust pastry.”

Frangipane is a sweet almond custard found in certain cakes and pastries. It’s typically a mix of butter, eggs, ground almonds, sugar, and some flour. In these Aldi tarts, the frangipane appears to be incorporated into the almond cake. Frangipane has French origins but is named after a 16th century Italian nobleman who invented popular almond-scented gloves, and French chefs took inspiration from him.

These tarts are Aldi Finds, so they’re only in stores for a short time. Each store gets one shipment, and after that sells out, these are gone until the next German week at Aldi. German week usually happens at Aldi once during the spring and again during the fall around the time of Oktoberfest. Aldi does not offer online ordering for products not in stock at your local store.

If you’re looking out for allergens, these contain wheat, milk, egg, and almonds. They may contain other tree nuts. The packages also warn that care has been taken to remove pips, seeds, or fruit stones, but some may remain. Each package contains four servings (99 grams each).

The packages have directions for heating these tarts in a conventional oven. They should be kept frozen until ready to bake. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Remove the frozen tart from the carton and plastic film. Remove the cardboard disc from the bottom. Place the product on a baking tray in the center of the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Carefully remove the pan from the oven. Let the tart cool on a wire rack before cutting. Then serve and enjoy. Cover any unused portion of the tart.

Cherry tart after baking.

These are easy to grab out of the freezer and heat in the oven for dessert on a cool fall evening. I baked ours while my family was eating dinner. It is a little difficult to remove the cardboard disc from the bottom of each tart, and I had to dig my fingernails into the crust some to peel the disc off. Otherwise, heating these is as simple as dropping them on a baking sheet and popping them into the oven.

Apple tart after baking.

Both of these tarts feature moist, soft almond cake with frangipane, all inside a solid shortbread-like crust. The cherry flavor features tart cherries, while the apple flavor has a sweeter taste with good-sized chunks of apple. The apple tart has slivered almonds (I thought one was an apple stem at one point), while the cherry tart has thinly sliced almonds. It’s hard for me to decide which tart I like best. It depends whether I’m in the mood for something sweet or something more tart and slightly sour, but I tend to lean more toward the cherry tart.

Both of these tarts are good as a snack or dessert served alongside a cup of hot tea or coffee, or a glass of cold milk. They were a nice, comforting, warm treat on a cool fall evening for my family.

Keep reading for more information on both the cherry and apple tart flavors.

Deutsche Küche Cherry Frangipane Tart

Cherry tart nutrition information and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)

One serving has 350 calories, 15 grams of total fat (19% DV), 4 grams of saturated fat (20% DV), 115 mg of sodium (5% DV), 47 grams of total carbohydrates (17% DV), 22 grams of total sugars, and 18 grams of added sugars (36% DV).

Deutsche Küche Apple Frangipane Tart

Apple tart nutrition information and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)

One serving has 320 calories, 13 grams of total fat (17% DV), 4 grams of saturated fat (19% DV), 95 mg of sodium (4% DV), 43 grams of total carbohydrates (16% DV), 22 grams of total sugars, and 15 grams of added sugars (30% DV).

The Verdict:

Deutsche Küche Cherry Frangipane Tarts or Apple Frangipane Tarts are products of Germany and feature almond cake, sliced or slivered almonds, a shortbread-like crust, and tart cherries or sweet apples. They’re sold frozen and can be heated from frozen in the oven. If you’re a connoisseur of European baked goods or are just looking for a treat to serve alongside a cup of coffee or tea, these are a nice option.