Tarte Aux Abricots Glazed French Apricot Tart With Almonds Recipes

FRENCH APRICOT & ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Sift the flour into a large bowl.
• Add the butter and rub in until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.
• Stir in the sugar, then mix in the egg to make a soft, pliable dough.
• Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and use to line the tart pan.
• Prebake with the weights in a 400°F oven for 10 minutes,until the pastry shell is beginning to brown at the edge.
• Remove the weights and foil and bake for 5-10 minutes.
• Leave to cool.
• Put the apricots, cut side down, in a shallow pan with the lemon juice, water, and sugar.
• Cover tightly and bring to a boil.
• Lower the heat and simmer gently for 3 minutes or until just soft.
• Remove the apricots with a slotted spoon, reserving the juices.
• Drain on paper towels, and leave to cool.
• Remove the pastry shell from the tart pan and put on a serving plate.
• Spread the pastry cream over the pastry shell and smooth the surface.
• Arrange the apricots, cut side down, on the pastry cream.
• Combine the arrowroot (or cornstarch) and brandy (or almond extract) in a small bowl and stir in the reserved apricot juices.
• Return the mixture to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring until thick.
• Add the toasted slivered almonds.
• Spoon the glaze over the apricots,making sure they are coated evenly. (Add a little water to the glaze of it is too thick.)
• Leave to stand until the glaze has cooled and set.
• Serve the tart cold.
• Pastry Cream: Put the 3 eggs, 3/8 cup vanilla sugar, and 1/2 cup flour into a large bowl, add a little milk taken from 1 2/3 cup, and mix until smooth.
• Pour the remaining milk into a heavy saucepan and bring almost to a boil.
• Pour onto the egg mixture, whisking well.
• Rinse out the saucepan, return the egg mixture to the pan, and cook over low heat, stirring, for 15-20 minutes until thickened.
• Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, gently pressing it over the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming.
• Leave to cool.

APRICOT TARTS

Steps:

• In a small mixing bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese and flour until blended.
• Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• In a small saucepan, bring apricots and water to a boil.
• Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes; drain.
• Add the pecans, sugar, marmalade, cinnamon and cloves; set aside.
• Shape dough into 24 balls.
• Press onto the bottom and up the sides of greased miniature muffins cups.
• Spoon apricot mixture into cups.
• Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until browned.
• Cool for 10 minutes; before removing from pans to cool completely.
• For topping, in another small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
• Beat in vanilla.
• Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth.
• Spoon a dollop onto each tart.
• Store in the refrigerator.

APRICOT CUSTARD TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325-degrees F.
• Place baked tart shell on baking sheet. Set aside.
• Cut apricots into wedges and arrange in tart shell.
• In a bowl whisk together sugar, yolks and cream.
• Stir in flour and salt. Stir to combine.
• Pour cream/yolk mixture over apricots.
• Sprinkle almonds over all.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until custard is set.

GLAZED APRICOT TART WITH FRANGIPANE (MINI TARTS - TARTLETS)

Steps:

• To Prepare Crust:.
• In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup butter. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixture until smooth.
• Add one egg, beating until smooth. Gradually add 1/4 cup ground almonds and the flour, beating at low speed until just combined (dough will be sticky).
• Cover and chill dough for 1 hour. Roll chilled dough into 1-inch balls; press into bottom and two-thirds up sides of each cup of a miniature muffin pan, or 1 large tart tin.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• To Make Filling:.
• In a medium bowl, combine 3/4 cup sugar, melted butter, cream, 2 eggs, the vanilla, the almond extract, 1/2 cup ground almonds, and the lemon zest. Whisk to combine.
• Spoon filling mixture into each crust.
• Pit and slice apricots. Arrange apricot slices over the top of each tart.
• To make glaze, mix apricot jam with a little water, brush over tops of fruit.
• Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Dust tops with icing sugar while still warm.

TARTE AUX ABRICOTS - GLAZED FRENCH APRICOT TART WITH ALMONDS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas Mark 6. To make the pastry place the cold butter into a food processor with the sieved flour and lemon zest. Blitz until the mixture becomes the texture of breadcrumbs.
• Whisk the sugar into the egg then pour into the machine with a splash of water. Blitz just long enough for the mixture to form a ball. Remove with your hands and ensure you have a nice firm ball by moulding with your hands. Wrap in cling film and leave in the fridge for at least an hour.
• Meanwhile halve and stone your apricots then place on a baking tray cut side up. Sprinkle all over with the light brown sugar then bake them in the oven for 15-20 minutes until they are soft to the point of a knife but not falling apart.
• Roll out and line a 25cm loose-bottomed tart tin with the pastry. Chill again for ideally an hour but a minimum of 30 minutes.
• Once rested prick all over the base with a fork then line with parchment paper and follow with baking beans. Bake blind for 15-20 minutes until the base is just beginning to crisp but has not browned. Remove the beans and allow to cool.
• Sprinkle the ground almonds all over the base then top with a layer of apricots. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy. Remove the vanilla seeds from the pod and whisk into the egg mixture along with the double cream or whipping cream.
• Place the tart onto a baking tray then carefully pour over the custard mixture. Place in the oven for 15 minutes then lower the heat to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4 for a further 15-20 minutes when the custard should be set and a lovely golden colour.
• For the Glaze: Warm the jam and allow to cool just above room temperature and then pour or spoon it over the tart.
• Allow to cool before slicing and serving with crème fraîche, plenty of icing sugar and some edible flowers.

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.