Apricot-Almond Tarts

apricot-tart-1

A quick tiny little post before i leave for Asia. Delicious apricot and almond tartelettes with fresh apricots from Frog Hollow Farms in Brentwood California (pronounced Frogolo when you’re cursed with a French accent). If you’re not familiar with this organic farm you should definitely check out their website. In my opinion Frog Hollow Farms produces some of the best stone fruits in the US, and it’s grown under the expert supervision of Farmer Al (he’s the dude who looks like Will Ferrell in overalls). Everything from cherries to peaches and plums is always spot-on and i don’t recall being ever disappointed in the many years i’ve been using them. That’s where i get all my fruit this early in the season, it’s only later in the summer we get it from Big Bossman orchards in the Hamptons (remember all the jammin’ last summer?). The fruit we grow in the Hamptons isn’t bad either, but nothing.. NOTHING can beat Farmer Al. Not even this.. err.. hillbilly dude. (Warning: highly disturbing content.)

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Most of the fruit gets eaten as it is because well… why mess with perfection? But last week-end a few apricots got forgotten in a corner and were a bit overripe by Monday. And overripe apricots simply beg to be baked in a tart, don’t you think? So i made these little tartelettes just for fun. Big Bossman sampled one and thought they were so good in fact he invited a few people for lunch at the last minute just so we could serve them. Arghh.. I shot myself in the foot again! Next time.. they’re all mine! I’ll share with you instead if you promise to invite nobody… and if you behave.

Going to lock my suitcase now. I have as many shirts as French wine bottles in there. I’ll probably get arrested and spend the next two weeks in jail. Wish me luck.

  • Apricot-Almond Tarts

    • Serves 6
    • apricot-tart-21

    • For the sweet tart dough:
    • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
    • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
    • Pinch of salt
    • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
    • 1 large egg
    • grated zest of 1 orange
    • For the almond cream and the tart:
    • 4 ounces butter
    • 2 ounces almond paste
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 2 tablespoons flour
    • 1 pinch of salt
    • 3/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
    • 1 pound fresh apricots
      • For the sweet tart dough:
    • apricot-tart-4

    • Preheat oven to 350’F.
    • Sift together the confectioners’ sugar, flour, and salt into a bowl.
    • Place the butter and orange zest into a food processor and process until smooth.
    • Scatter the flour mixture over the butter, add the egg and process just until the dough forms a mass; do not overmix.
    • Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least for an hour.
    • When ready, line a greased 9 1/2 inch tart pan with half the dough. Keep the rest for another use.
    • Place pie weights in aluminum foil at the bottom of the tart and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the weights and bake for 20 minutes more. Let it cool.
    • For the almond cream and the tart:
    • Cook the butter in a small saucepan until it turns golden brown and emits a nutty aroma. Remove from the heat immediately and set aside to cool.
    • In a food processor, beat together the almond paste, the sugar and the eggs until smooth, add flour and salt and pulse the mixture until combined and smooth.
    • Add the brown butter and process until smooth. Add the creme fraiche or sour cream and process until smooth.
    • Scrap this mixture into the bottom of the cooled pie shell. Arrange the fresh apricots over the top and bake until it starts to color and the custard is set, about 30 to 35 minuites.
    • Serve at room temperature.
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  • http://manggy.blogspot.com Manggy

    Why why why did I click on the link?! My eyes!!! Anyway, maybe Farmer Al IS Will Ferrell in overalls? Ha ha ha.
    But kudos to “Al” for growing such delicious stone fruit to go in such luscious tartelettes! Have fun in my continent! :)

  • http://www.everydaycookin.com Darius T. Williams

    quick little post? I love it…you never do things quick and little sir!

  • http://staceysnacksonline.com Stacey Snacks

    and I thought I owned every kind of tart pan!
    Now I need to add these to my collection.
    These apricots are beautiful.
    Have a good trip and don’t forget to “relaX”.

  • http://vanillakitchen.blogspot.com dawn

    will ferrell in overalls? oh yeah. Love him, but my heart also belongs to Jim Carrey. Before I was married I longed for ways to woo him. I wasn’t very successful as I never got to meet him, he has all this security and fancy planes, so it’s impossible to get the man alone. :::sigh:::
    Do I really have to tell you have stellar your photos are? I mean seriously.
    Not only do I want one, but I think I want that tart pan more. Is that bad?

  • http://www.tartelette.blogspot.com Tartelette

    Apricot almond tarts are hands down my favorite. Gorgeous job Stephane! One day I’ll have to tell you the story of my grandma’s apricot tart that turned out to be a quiche:)
    Have a safe trip and enjoy Asia!
    P.S: did you find my polka dot bikini in your suitcase? I was trying to sneak in:)

  • http://sandrakavital.blogspot.com sandra

    Those are the cutest apricot almond tarts I’ve ever seen.. and now I wish I had some good apricots and your tiny molds!!

  • http://elrasbaking.blogspot.com elra

    YUMMY!
    Love apricot tart. yours have creme fraiche, while mine doesn’t. I bet it taste more delish with creme fraiche!

  • http://www.foodgal.com Carolyn Jung

    I LOVE Frog Hollow Farms. At the Ferry Building store in San Francisco, they often have an employee standing outside, handing out samples of apricot slices to try. How sly of them! They know full well that once you taste one, you’re sure to buy a bucket-load of those super sweet, luscious stone fruits.

  • http://justcalmemarta.blogspot.com Marta

    Yes, over-ripe apricots adore a little tart shell around them! This looks so appealing! Now, if you don’t have time to finish them before your trip, send one my way and I’ll take care of business 😉

  • http://bakeoff-flunkie.blogspot.com Tiffiny Felix

    These are adorable and look equally as delicious! I haven’t done much with almond. If I can find some nice apricots I’m going to give these a try… Thanks!

  • http://www.phamfatale.com/ Jackie @ PhamFatale.com

    Oh my, oh my, I just found your website. This apricot almond tart looks divine. Save me a piece! 😉

  • http://baconandrhubarb.blogspot.com Rachel (S[d]OC)

    I think those apricots were very happy to live out their declining days in those pretty little tarts.

    Have a great trip!

  • http://mortadifame.blogspot.com Morta Di Fame

    These are gorgeous!

  • http://sakura-08.blogspot.com May

    I love love love fresh apricots. And those tarts look delicious & gorgeous!

    Enjoy Asia :)

  • http://zested.wordpress.com liz

    Great photo – happy travels.

  • http://www.mangotomato.blogspot.com Olga

    They look so pretty!!! can you please ship me one?

  • http://colloquialcookin.canalblog.com Colloquial Cook

    After Zenchef let me try this tart I was about to propose to Al. Zenchef didn’t manage to tackle me fast enough and 6 hours later I am now in San Francisco looking for a man in overalls feeling apricots for ripeness. Damn those stone fruits.

  • http://www.piequeen.blogspot.com Piequeen

    Alas, Colloqial, Farmer Al is already married…to a pastry chef! But the apricots are just as delish as Stephane says…

  • http://www.theduckquacking.blogspot.com daphne

    oh how gorgeous! i would love one right now!

    ps- i just got back not long from our wedding and love your new website!

  • http://foodhuntress.blogspot.com enrisa marie

    God really talks to you when you cook…

  • http://voodoolily.blogspot.com Heather

    Those look like some homemade maternity pants. The tarts, however, look amazing. See how being too good can backfire?

  • http://www.elinluv.blogspot.com Elin

    awesome tarts….I want one…no all…can? 😛 thanks for sharing and making me salivating now :))

  • http://www.tasteslikehome.org Cynthia

    Have a blast in Hong Kong!

  • http://goldilocksfindsmanhattan.blogspot.com/ Ulla

    All your pictures are so gorgeous, you really are an artist! Those look wonderful. Your clients are very very lucky!:)

  • http://www.theexpatdirectory.com/c1/United_States.php Ted
  • http://www.clumbsycookie.blogspot.com clumbsycookie

    I want those molds!!!! Hope you’re still alive and well in Asia. Come back soon!

  • http://www.angrybrit.com Angry Brit

    My mother makes something similar as her “go-to” recipe. I keep telling her that she should branch out some. And you might be “cursed” with a French accent, but try living in California with a British accent. It gets old, dude.

  • http://www.RecipeGirl.com Lori @ RecipeGirl

    Those are quite gorgeous! Hope you’re having a great time in Asia!

  • http://dhanggitskitchen.blogspot.com dhanggit

    oh i definitely miss all your delicious and creative creations!! i’m glad to be back!! these tarts are gorgeous!!

    ps, i love your new place

  • http://dragonskitchen.blogspot.com Dragon

    These are fantastic! I love the colour.

  • http://www.norecipes.com Marc @ NoRecipes

    “frogolo” hahahaha….. It’s pronounced “furogu horro” if you’re cursed with a Japanese accent. How on earth did you get these way out here?

    What did you glaze the tops with? So shiny!

  • http://mllenoelle.wordpress.com/ mlle noëlle of simmer down

    Just getting around to catching up on my blog reading, these are beautiful, and I love the apricot-almond combo… just used it in my June Daring Bakers challenge. I did a write-up of the book “How to Pick a Peach” for my online book club a few weeks ago and I believe the author talks about Frog Hollow. Here in MI, we get the Red Haven peaches at the end of summer, but no great apricots that I know of. :(

  • susansa

    Okay – I tried the recipe after doing conversions (ounces to tablespoons) while very tasty – I had to cut out the center as it remained liquid-y even after a longer bake. I’m trying it again but I want to try to reduce some of the butter – any hints/tips? Has anyone else tried baking this? What were your results? Thank you!

  • Anonymous

    Which size tart pan did you use? The eggs and flour in the almond cream should help create a ‘custard’. I don’t think the problem is with the ingredients but rather with oven temperature/timing. Maybe the oven was a little too hot? Try to bake the tart at a lower temp’ but longer.

  • susansa

    Ahhh! Yes – I think it was the temp/timing – I used a 9″ pan. I am going to try again (tomorrow in fact) it was truly delicious despite my failings. I hope I didn’t sound rude w/my comment, I’m just starting out with tarts and wanted to understand where I went wrong.

  • Anonymous

    Oh no worries. Usually when the center of a cake/tart is undercooked it has to do with baking as every oven is different. You should succeed with a little practice. You can also try this recipe http://www.zencancook.com/2009/10/warren-pear-almond-tart/ by substituting apricots for the pears.

  • Monika

    Love the photos! But why doesn’t the recipe describes how to make the glaze at the end? It’s the inevitable finish touch!

  • Anonymous

    For a quick and easy glaze just put some apricot jam with a few tablespoons of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat until syrupy. Brush the top of the tart with the glaze while it’s hot. 

  • Lindsey Campbell

    I tried this recipe last night! It was successful, although my crust cracked while pre-baking, so I patched it and threw it back in the oven for a little, which seemed to be an okay solution. I took advice from another reviewer’s problem (being runny in the center) so i turned down the temp and baked for a few extra minutes and all looked good. Thanks for a great recipe! I just recently found this blog and love it!