Apricot and Pistachio Tart
A delicate golden apricot tart with a delicious pistachio filling, baked in a traditional sweet pastry case. The tart can be baked a day in advance and kept covered in the fridge, glazed just before serving.
INGREDIENTS (serves 8)
◆ 2 tbsp apricot jam
◆ 10g unsalted pistachios, shelled, roughly chopped Pastry base:
◆ 125g plain flour
◆ ¼ tsp salt
◆ 50g caster sugar
◆ 115g cold unsalted butter, cubed For the filling:
◆ 110g unsalted pistachios, shelled
◆ 10g plain flour
◆ a pinch of salt
◆ 75g caster sugar
◆ 70g unsalted butter, softened
◆ 1 large egg
◆ ¼ tsp almond extract
◆ 450g ripe apricots or 2 tins of apricot halves in natural juice, well drained
1
Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease a 23-25cm round, loosebottomed bottomed fluted tart tin. To make the pastry base, put the flour, sugar and salt into a food processor and briefly process to mix. Add the cubed butter to the bowl and run the machine until the mixture forms large clumps. Continue until it comes together. Do not overwork.
2
Transfer the dough in small quantities into a well-greased tart tin and press evenly across the bottom and up the sides. Bake for 15 minutes until golden.
3
Take out of the oven and leave to cool. While the pastry base is cooling, make the filling. Using the food processor, blitz the pistachios, sugar, flour and salt together until the nuts are powdery. Add the butter to the mix and run the machine until no buttery bits are visible. Then add the egg and almond extract, blending until just combined.
4
Spread the filling over the cooled base. Either use the fresh apricots cut in half or the tinned apricots (as dry as possible) and arrange cut-side down over the pistachio filling. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the tart is golden brown and set.
5
Leave the tart to cool completely in the tin. If eating the tart the following day, place in the fridge once cooled, covered in cling film.
6
Finish glazing the tart just before serving. To finish the tart, make the glaze by warming the jam in a small saucepan until it thins and brush over the tart, decorate with the chopped pistachios. Remove the tart from the tin and transfer to a cake plate.