Recipe: Almond and apricot tart

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

Sweet pastry

• 175g (6oz) unsalted butter
• 75g (3oz) icing sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 25ml (2fl oz) water
• 250g (9oz) plain flour

Almond cream

• 250g (9oz) unsalted butter
• 250g (9oz) icing sugar
• 250g (9oz) ground almonds
• 250g (9oz) plain flour
• 5 eggs

Filling

• 250g (9oz) dried apricots, halved and soaked in water for 24 hours

To serve

• icing sugar for dusting
• lightly whipped cream

Special equipment

• 25cm (10in) flan tin

Method

• The day before cooking, halve the apricots and soak them in water for 24 hours.
• When you are ready to start cooking preheat the oven to 160°C / 300°F / Gas Mark 2

Pastry

1. Cream the butter and icing sugar in a bowl with a wooden spoon.
2. Beat in the egg yolks. Add a little of the water and sieve in the flour, mixing well. Add the remaining water and beat for 1 minute.
3. Put the pastry into a bowl and chill in the fridge.

Almond cream

1. Beat the butter and icing sugar in a bowl with a wooden spoon, until pale and light.
2. Add the ground almonds and flour and mix well. Gradually add the eggs, stirring continuously.
3. Leave the mixture to chill in the fridge whilst rolling out the pastry.

Line the case

1. Remove pastry from the fridge. Roll it out evenly then line the flan tin.
2. Fill two-thirds of the flan tin with almond cream. Arrange the halved apricots on top of the almond cream.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until golden brown.

To serve

1. Dust the tart with icing sugar and serve with lightly whipped cream.