Apricot almond tart: Distinctive richness without the work

Here you have a relatively quick and simple upscale gourmet dessert. The flavors are richly subtle and a small slice is plenty enough to satisfy. Use fresh or re-hydrated apricots. While any number of fruits would be lovely in this recipe, it is the apricot-almond connection that is magical.

Apricots and almonds were created to go together. Have you ever bitten into a kernel from the inside of an apricot pit? It’s a bitter almond! Yes, they were born to be together.

This recipe is cobbled together from an assortment of other dessert recipes. While I like to give credit where credit is due, none of those cooks would recognize their own work.

One outstanding perk with this tart is that the crust is not rolled out. Why does rolling crust seem like so much work? Maybe, because it is! With this dessert you get to enjoy the richness of a crust without the work. Five stars!

Because you can use re-hydrated dried fruit, this tart can be enjoyed any time of the year, even in the darkest of winter days.

Apricot Almond Tart Crust Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 1/2 cup cane sugar
• 1 stick of soft butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup spelt flour

Apricot Almond Tart Filling

• 8 fresh apricots, halved and pitted (or 12 re-hydrated apricots, left whole)
• 1/4 cup honey, softened
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 large fresh eggs
• 1 tablespoon amaretto

Apricot Almond Tart Steps

1. Put the almonds and sugar in the food processor and pulse until the almonds are finely ground.
2. Add the butter, egg, and extract to the almond mixture. Pulse until well combined.
3. Measure the 1 cup of flour into a 2-cup measure. Add the salt and baking powder. Mix the three thoroughly using a small wire whip or something similar.
4. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the almond mixture and pulse again just enough to incorporate the flour. Don’t overdo it!
5. Use the wrapper from the butter to butter a 9-inch deep dish pie plate or tart pan.
6. Empty the tart dough into the buttered pan and gently move it around the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
7. Press an empty pie pan on top of the dough. An 8-inch pan will work well. You now need to weigh your dough down with something to keep it from curling and separating in the pan. A glass plate that fits nicely on top of your crust would work well. In lieu of just the right plate you can cover the crust with parchment paper and then weight the paper down with about a cup of uncooked, dry beans. Alternatively, you can weight it down with beans alone with the parchment makes it easier to remove them afterwards. If you do not weight the crust, it will buckle and it will not go flat again.
8. Bake the weighted dough for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. While it is baking, mix the honey, cream, eggs, and amaretto in a small bowl.
9. Take the pan from the oven and remove your weighting materials.
10. Arrange the apricots evenly over the partially baked crust. Drizzle the egg and cream mixture over the fruit and return the tart to the oven.
11. Bake until the filling is set, about 40 minutes. If the edges brown before the filling is set, cover them with strips of foil.
12. Allow the tart to cool for at least 30 minutes to get neat, even slices. The flavor on this sumptuous dessert is best slightly warmed or at room temperature.