Apricot-Almond Tarts
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.)
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.
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Apricot-Almond Tarts
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- Serves 6
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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
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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
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For the sweet tart dough:
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- 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.
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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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