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Almond and Apricot Tart

Almond Apricot Tart is the perfect thing to serve for your holiday dinner or just for a great dessert anytime.
Course Baking, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword almonds, apricots, tart
Servings 12

Ingredients

For the crust

  • 5 tablespoons butter cold cut into chunks. At room temperature, if making by hand
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander optional
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons cream

For the Apricot filling

  • 8 oz or 2 cups finely chopped dried apricots
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons bourbon optional

For the almond frangipane

  • 12 oz blanched almonds whole or slivered. About 2 ½ cups
  • 20 tablespoons butter or 2 ½ sticks butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups of the cooked apricot filling
  • ½ cup sliced almonds

Whipped cream or clotted cream

extra apricot filling thinned with more bourbon as a sauce

Instructions

To Make The Crust

  1. In a food processor, place the butter, powdered sugar, ground coriander, and salt. Process until the mixture is thoroughly creamed together.
  2. To the creamed mixture add the egg yolks, orange zest, and vanilla. Process until combined.
  3. Add in the flour and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Try not to over mix.
  4. Sprinkle the cold cream over the flour and butter crumbs. Pulse just a few times to begin to combine. But do not process it into a ball, it should still be loose.
  5. Turn the mixture onto a work surface and gather it into a ball blending as you go to make a smooth dough, the key is not to overwork the dough as it will become tough. Shape the dough into a log shape, wrap in plastic wrap and let chill for at least 1 hour to relax.
  6. Slice the dough into ¼ inch slices and press into your 11-inch tart pan. Press and smooth it out until you have a uniform smooth crust coming all the way up the side of the tart pan. Try and not have too thick of a bottom corner near the edge.
  7. Prick a few places on the bottom of the crust with a fork.
  8. Place the crust into the freezer and freeze for 1 hour, or even overnight.

For the Apricot Filling

  1. Combine the apricots with the water, sugar, and the orange juice in a saucepan. Stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to a boil.
  2. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Continue to stir occasionally to make sure the apricots do not scotch.
  3. Pull off the heat and let cool briefly.
  4. Process in a food processor until the apricot mixture is very smooth.
  5. Stir in the vanilla and the bourbon if using.
  6. The filling can be made ahead. And store in the fridge.
  7. To Make the Frangipane Filling and Finish the Tart
  8. Preheat the oven to 350° for about 20-30 minutes.
  9. When the oven has preheated: place the frozen tart shell directly from the freezer into the oven.
  10. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is beginning to become lightly golden brown.
  11. Remove the baked tart shell from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes on a rack. Meanwhile, you make the frangipane filling.
  12. Turn the oven down to 325°

To Make the Frangipane Filling

  1. Pulse the blanched almonds in a food processor until you have fine ground almonds. Be careful not to just continually process, as the ground almonds will become almond butter if you process too far.
  2. Transfer the ground almonds to a mixing bowl and set aside. No need to clean the bowl.
  3. In the bowl of your food processor add the butter and the sugar. Process until light and creamy. You want to create a bit of an emulsion so process it for a few minutes.
  4. Add in the eggs and process until smooth.
  5. Using a spatula, fold the butter mixture into the ground almonds. Continue to fold until the almonds are thoroughly incorporated.
  6. Let the frangipane chill for 10 minutes to firm up slightly.
  7. Measure out 2 cups of the apricot filling. Reserve the rest of the apricot filling for garnish. Spread the 2 cups of the apricot filling evenly over the bottom of the cooled tart shell.

  8. Carefully dollap and spread the frangipane compleatly over the apricot layer.

  9. Sprinkle the sliced almonds on top of the frangipane.

  10. Bake the tart for 50-60 minutes, or until the tart is golden brown around the edges and is still slightly soft in the center.

  11. Let cool for at least 45 minutes before serving.

Thin out the reserved apricot filling with some more bourbon or water to a pouring consistency.

  1. Serve with whipped cream or clotted cream if you want to be a bit British! Drizzle the reserved apricot filling over the whipped cream. and sprinkle some more sliced almonds on top if desired.