Almond Cream and Apricot Tart

Apricot season is finally here, and what better way to enjoy it than by making a delicious apricot tart for my family? Filled with almond cream and topped with crushed pistachios and sliced almonds, it’s the perfect treat to celebrate this beautiful season. 

All you need is a sweet shortcrust pastry, a few apricots, and an almond cream; not frangipane. The difference between the two is that frangipane contains pastry cream, while almond cream does not. 

A story behind my recipe,

When I was little and living in Algiers, my aunt had apricots trees in her garden, and we would fill entire baskets with fruit. We made jams, tarts of all kinds, and enjoyed the abundance of the season.

But my cousins and I always kept the pits, we would put them in our beach bucket and play a game we absolutely loved. We would stack three apricots pits together and place a fourth one on top, making a little pyramid. Then we would step back a few meters and take turns throwing a pit to know the pyramid down. Whoever succeeded won the pits.

In the evening, we would count our winnings to see who had collected the most.

No social media, no screens, just simple games and endless laughter 🙂

Ingredients: (for the crust/pâte sablée)

• 250g of plain flour/all purpose flour
• 125g of cold butter
• 100g of icing sugar
• A pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 25ml of water (less or more depending the quality of your flour)

Procedure:

1. In a food processor, add the flour, the pinch of salt, the icing sugar, the soft butter and then one egg.
2. Start to mix all the ingredients together until you assemble the dough.
3. Slowly add the water and continue to mix, until it holds a ball.
4. The dough now is ready.
5. Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
6. After 30 minutes remove the dough from the fridge.
7. Grease a round pan tart (18/20 centimeters).
8. Dust with flour a clean surface.
9. With a rolling pin, flatten the dough the size of your tart pan.
10. Add delicately the flattened dough into the tart pan.
11. Poke the bottom of the crust.
12. Set aside.

Ingredients: (for the filling, almond cream)

• 100g of soft butter
• 80g of caster sugar
• 80g of almond powder
• 50g of plain flour/all purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 kg of apricots
• 2 tbsp of brown sugar

Procedure:

1. In a medium bowl add the butter and the sugar.
2. Start to mix until the texture becomes creamy.
3. Add the first egg and continue to mix.
4. Add the second egg and mix until all the ingredients are well combined together.
5. Finally, pour the almond powder and the flour.
6. Mix very well until the mixture is consistent and set aside.
7. Pour the almond cream on the top of the tart.
8. Arrange the halved apricots on top of the cream, with the rounded side facing up.
9. Sprinkle with some almond slices and brown sugar, to give a caramelized texture.
10. Bake for 45 minutes (more or less depending on the oven) or when the crust is golden brown.
11. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
12. Sprinkle more pistachios on the top.

The tart is really delicious!

Bonne dégustation!