Apricot & Almond Frangipani

Serves 10-12

Ingredients

150g apricot jam

8–10 apricots, depending on size, halved and pitted 50g whole blanched almonds Demerara sugar, for scattering Vanilla cream or amaretto cream, to serve

For the sweet pastry

125g unsalted butter, cubed; 500g plain flour; 200g icing sugar; 1 egg

For the frangipane

250g unsalted butter; 250g caster sugar; 200g ground almond; 100g self-raising flour; 2 eggs

Method For the sweet pastry

Weigh out all the ingredients and blitz in a food processor until the mixture resembles a crumble consistency. Stop the machine and scrape the sides. Blitz again, stopping when a dough forms. Add the egg. Work gently to bring the dough together.

For the frangipane

Beat all ingredients together in a bowl until light and fluffy.

Preheat the oven to 160ºC. Roll out your pastry to form a disc roughly 3mm thick and large enough to line a 30cm (12in) loosebottomed tart tin. Press the pastry into the fluted edge and trim off any excess. Chill in the fridge for 15 mins. Once the pastry is chilled, spoon the apricot jam into the base of the tart case and spread level. Next spoon on the frangipane filling. Place the apricots over the top of the frangipane, cut-side up. Squeeze in as many as you can. Sprinkle the whole almonds over the top and finish with some demerara.

Bake for 40-45 mins, or until cooked through and the base is evenly golden. Allow to cool completely before slicing. Serve with softly whipped cream, which you can spike with either a little vanilla bean paste or some amaretto. You only need to add a little.