Apricot Tart

This recipe makes for an apricot tart with excellent flavor and really good texture. The flavor of the apricots, along with the hint of almond extract, gives it an almost exotic edge. This filling really pairs perfectly with a rich buttery crust and crumble filled with yet more butter along with brown sugar and almonds. We served it once with vanilla ice cream and once with lightly sweetened whipped cream. It's something I would make again in a heartbeat.

That said, the pastry crust is delicious, but the method of applying it to a springform pan with high edges is needlessly tricky and fiddly. I took a bit of time to try and get it as evenly thick as possible while at the same time getting it halfway up the edges of the springform pan. Why not use a deep tart pan with a removable bottom? We can just chill and roll the dough then fit it in the pan. Simple, neat, and much easier to manage. I will be doing that next time.

Be very diligent in getting the aluminum foil as flat as possible in the pan to cover the dough. This is especially true in the corners. Also remove the beans (or weights) first and then carefully remove the foil (as opposed to just picking up the foil with the weights in it) before finishing baking it. I had a few wrinkles on one side and when I attempted to remove the foil I ended up with a few tears. I had saved a nugget of dough and used that to patch it up.

The good news is that the tart holds together very well once un-molded. This is not a tart that keeps well. It was delicious after an hour out of the oven. The next day though, while the flavor was still great, the pastry and texture suffered from too much liquid that seeped from the juicy apricots. I would say this is something that should be served within 4 to 6 hours at the most for best results. The edges were dark brown, but we loved them. They were not burnt and tasted almost caramelized. This again worked great with the juicy apricots and that slightly bitter hint of almond extract.

I couldn't resist trying it again this weekend with my changes and figured I'd share my results. I loved the flavors and textures of this tart but was not crazy about the method using the springform pan with tall sides. I didn't like patting the dough in the pan as opposed as to simply rolling it into an actual tart pan. So that's what I did. I changed nothing other than switching to a regular tart pan with a removable bottom and rolling the dough evenly and laying it in there. This worked superbly, and I will use this method when I make the recipe again. The one small downside is that I had some (but very little) boil-over. The tart didn't suffer at all and looked great, but I'd recommend putting a baking sheet underneath the tart pan.

Ah, the often-overlooked apricot—how we really should pay you more attention! Leave it to the French to know how to celebrate the apricot's tartness with the rich elements of butter and almonds and not give in to the American urge to mix in sugar by the cupful. The apricot tart's crust was substantial and easily stood up on the dessert plate. The crunchy topping was divine, working to both cut the tartness of the apricots and impart its nuttiness. What I love about apricots, unlike peaches, is that they are so easy to prepare. Just remove the pit and they are ready--no need to peel. I purchased slightly fewer apricots than called for by the recipe. (I purchased 7 apricots, which weighed approximately 1 1/3 pounds.) I don't think you'd need the full 2 pounds unless you really have a hankering for apricots. The dough came together without a fuss. A minute in the mixing bowl and it was ready to go. It was easy to form into the pan and created a pretty thick crust that didn't crumble when plated. The cooking times appeared accurate. I think this recipe is really unique and would really fit the bill if you are looking for an elegant dessert recipe that isn't overly sweet. However, for this reason, I think its appeal will largely lie with adults.

If you like your tarts tart, then this apricot tart recipe is for you. The crust is like a perfectly baked buttery sable cookie. It does get quite brown after the two baking periods, but it doesn't burn. Be sure to make both the bottom and the sides of the crust nice and even so they'll bake evenly. The dough may thin out when you press it up the sides, but try to make it almost as thick as the bottom crust to make it less likely to overcook. I mixed the dough for 1 minute, and it didn’t really come together, but it appeared to be well-mixed, so I decided to press it into the pan. The baking time of 50 minutes was perfect. As soon as the filling is mixed, the apricots begin to exude their juices, so I suggest that you immediately assemble the tart after the filling is mixed together.