Frangipane: Frangipane is an almond cream made from almond flour and extract, among other things, and adds that nice, rich almond flavor to many of your favorite baked goods. If you bake frequently, ...

At the end of the summer, we all start to feel a sort of melancholy as the return to routine is imminent. Vacation days are ...

Ever walk past a French bakery with one of those impossibly elegant apple tarts in the window, the ones with the apple slices fanned out in the shape of a flower?

With jam, there's no peeling, no slicing, no cooking, no cleanup. Simply twist off the top, measure 1 1/4 cup of your favorite flavor and spread it over your tart shell.

Place tart on center rack in oven, then place a foil- or parchment-lined baking sheet on rack below and bake tart until jam is bubbling and pastry and almonds are deep golden brown, 45–50 minutes.

Once the tart has chilled, spread the jam evenly in it, starting from the center and leaving a border of about 1/2 inch around the edges. The jam should be thinly spread and not resemble a filled pie.

If you’re making a tart, once the tart shell has been blind-baked and cooled, spread a thin layer of raspberry jam directly onto the bottom before adding the main filling.

Bake until the jam is bubbling at the edges and the crumb topping is light golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for about 30 minutes. Remove the pan sides and cool ...

Editor’s Note: Living in the Colorado high country is pure joy. Baking in it isn’t. High altitude makes cookies spread in the pan, cakes fall, and few baked goods turn out as they do at sea level.

But here's the trick. Do not slice all the way through. Instead, stop each slice when you're still about 1/4 inch from the surface of the cutting board, then lift the knife and make the next slice.