Apricot Almond Tart

Ever since I picked up two pints of the sweet rosy apricots at the farmer's market, I've been scheming about making them into a tart. For two days their future looked dubious, as I kept sneaking one after another from the fridge and eating them. Apricots are one of those fruit that are really only worth eating during their natural season. The stuff you find on the store shelf in the winter time has absolutely no flavor and quite frankly shouldn't even be called an apricot. But these reminded me of when I was little and climbed trees and tasted apricots every day, starting when they were green and right up to the point when they were juicy beyond belief. I'd bring the haul home to my mom using my dress as an apron and after reprimanding me for ruining yet another outfit, my mom would bake. Sometimes they'd get made into a summer fruit punch, but it was always something incredibly delicious and I was quite willing to ruin a dress or two to get the treats.



My sister was throwing an impromptu dinner party for a few friends and I decided that an apricot tart would be the perfect accompaniment for her cheese platter. Once I saw the pictures of the tart over at
Annie's Eats, my mind was made up and I headed into the kitchen.

This is a very straight forward recipe that comes together very quickly and easily. I decided to quarter the apricots and fan them out in the crust, but then all my hard work got covered up by the almond creme, so I think next time I'll leave them as halves like Annie did. Either way, it was delicious and will definitely be made again.




Apricot Almond Tart
via Annie's Eats
Note: Per Annie's suggestion, I also added a tablespoon of sugar to the crust and I think it came out perfectly.

For the crust:
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 egg yolks
1 tbsp. sugar
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2-4 tbsp. ice water, if needed

For the filling:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup honey
1 cup ground almonds (blanched or slivered)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
8-10 apricots, halved and pitted

To make the crust, in the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the sugar and salt. Mix in the flour just until incorporated. Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on low speed, just until the dough comes together. Form the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F and position a rack in the center. Once the dough is well chilled, transfer it to a lightly floured surface and roll out to fit your preferred tart pan. Transfer the dough to the tart pan and line the pan, pushing the dough into the fluted edges. Trim off the excess dough and patch any holes as needed. Line the pan with a piece of parchment paper or foil and fill with baking beads (rice or dried beans will also work). Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the dough is almost completely baked. Carefully remove the parchment or foil and baking beads.

To make the almond cream, combine the butter, honey, ground almonds, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until well blended and smooth. (This can also be done in a food processor.) Gently fold in the heavy cream with a spatula. Arrange the apricot halves in the partially baked tart dough. Pour the almond cream over the fruit so it fills the tart pan evenly. Bake 25-30 minutes until the almond filling is a light golden brown. Serve warm with a drizzle of honey, if desired.