Apricot Tart With Cornmeal Crust Recipes

DIABETIC FRIENDLY COUNTRY APRICOT TART

Steps:

• Grease and lightly flour a large baking sheet; set aside.
• For the cornmeal crust, in a medium bowl stir together 3/4 cup flour, cornmeal, 2 tablespoons Splenda, baking powder, and salt.
• Cut in butter or margarine until the size of small peas.
• Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cold fat-free milk over mixture; gently toss with a fork.
• Add 3 to 4 tablespoons more fat-free milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is moistened (dough will be crumbly).
• Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 7 to 8 times or just until dough clings together and form into a ball. On the baking sheet, flatten dough.
• Roll into a 12-inch circle and set aside.
• For Filling:.
• In a bowl stir together 1/3 cup Splenda, the 3 tablespoons flour, and the nutmeg or cinnamon. Stir in the apricots or peaches and lemon juice.
• Mound the filling in center of crust, leaving a 2-inch border.
• Fold border up over filling.
• Brush top and sides of crust with the 2 teaspoons milk.
• Bake in a 350 F degree oven about 40 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly.
• To prevent overbrowning, cover the edge of the crust with foil the last 10 to 15 minutes of baking if needed.
• Cool tart for 30 minutes on the baking sheet on a wire rack.

APRICOT TART WITH CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• For crust:
• Whisk flour, cornmeal and salt in small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl to blend. Beat in egg yolks. Add dry ingredients and beat just until blended. Divide dough in half; flatten into disks. Wrap each dough disk in plastic and refrigerate 20 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before using.)
• Meanwhile, prepare apricot filling:
• Bring 5 cups water to simmer in heavy medium pot over medium heat. Add apricots and poach until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly oil 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Unwrap 1 dough disk; press onto bottom and up sides of tart pan. Spread apricot preserves over bottom of crust. Place poached apricots over preserves, covering crust completely and overlapping slightly. Using pastry brush, brush beaten egg over edges of crust. Roll out second dough disk between 2 sheets of parchment paper to 12-inch round. Remove top piece of parchment; using 1-inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut hole in center of top crust. Turn crust over onto filling. Remove second piece of parchment paper. Press around crust edges to seal. Cut off excess dough to make top crust flush with tart pan sides. Brush crust with beaten egg and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar.
• Bake tart until cornmeal crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer apricot tart to rack. Cool 30 minutes. Remove tart from pan and cool completely. (Apricot tart can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.) Serve tart with Apricot Sauce and whipped cream, if desired.

VERLET'S APRICOT TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch (23cm) fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Set aside.
• Make the pastry:
• In a large bowl, combine the melted butter and the sugar, and using a wooden spoon, stir to blend. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to form a soft, cookie-like dough. Transfer the dough to the center of the buttered pan. Using the tips of your fingers, evenly press the pastry along the bottom and up the sides of the pan. The pastry will be quite thin.
• Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake unitl the dough is slightly puffy and set, 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle the ground almonds over the bottom of the crust. (This will prevent the crust from becoming soggy.)
• Meanwhile make the filling:
• In a medium-size bowl, combine the crème fraîche, egg, extracts and honey and whisk to blend. Whisk in the flour.
• Pour the filling evenly over the pastry. Starting just inside the edge of the pan, neatly overlap the halved apricots, cut side up, at an angle. Arrange in two or three concentric circles, working toward the center. Fill in the center with the remaining apricots.
• Place the tart pan on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake until the filling is firm and the pastry is a deep golden brown, 55 to 60 minutes. The apricots will shrivel slightly. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Place the tart on a rack to cool. Sprinkle again with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

APRICOT AND BERRY TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees, and have ready an ungreased 8-inch tart pan with removable bottom. In a medium bowl, toss together the apricots, berries, and 4 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, cornmeal, 3 tablespoons sugar, salt, butter, egg yolk, and vanilla; pulse until dough begins to come together. Press dough into tart pan; set pan on a baking sheet. Bake until golden and slightly puffy, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Using a spatula, gently flatten bottom of crust.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Arrange fruit in crust. Bake 30 minutes; sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake until apricots are juicy and tender, about 15 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Remove tart from frame; serve with whipped cream, if desired.