Apricot tart

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180C.

Lightly toast the almonds. When cool, place in a food processor and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Add the flour, salt, butter and sugar and pulse until you have coarse crumbs again. Then add the beaten egg and pulse only until it starts to come together. Tip out on to the bench and gently press together to form a ball. Wrap in clingwrap and refrigerate for one hour.

Roll the mixture out on a lightly floured bench and line a 20cm tart tin. Line this with baking paper and dry beans or rice and place in the freezer or refrigerator for 10 minutes. Bake "blind" for 20 minutes, until the pastry looks lightly golden. Remove the weighted paper and allow the pastry to cool a little.

Meanwhile, cut the apricots in quarters and discard the kernels. Whisk the cream with the yolks and sugar. Arrange the apricots, cut-side down, in concentric rings (I like to start from the outside and work my way in). Drizzle over the cream mixture and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. 

To serve 

Allow the tart to cool a little before serving. Alternatively, you can glaze it with melted apricot jam. It is also beautiful eaten cold with a dollop of cream.

Serves: 12