175 g Buttery shortcrust pastry
3 tb Apricot jam; sieved
115 g Unsalted butter; softened
115 g Caster sugar
2 Eggs; beaten
SIEVE TOGETHER
140 g Ground almonds
1 tb Self raising flour
1/2 ts Baking powder
1 pn Salt
450 g Fresh ripe apricots
1 tb Flaked almonds
-SYRUP-
2 tb Kirsch
90 g Caster sugar
4 tb Water
1 Strip lemon zest
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 5.
Roll out the pastry and line a 4×4 inch loose bottomed deep sided tart
tins. Bake blind. Spread the sieved jam into the bases. Beat the
butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the beaten egg
a little at a time. Sieve together the ground almonds, flour, buttery
pastry and salt and then fold gently in to the creamed mixture.
Spread on top of the jam in the tart cases.
Cut 6 apricots in half and stone them. Press 3 into each tart, cut
side down, on top of the almond mixture and pressing them in lightly.
Scatter with flaked almonds.
Bake until well risen and golden brown and firm to the touch, usually
about 30-35 minutes. Turn out of the tins and dredge lightly with
icing sugar. Serve with the poached apricots.
Poached apricots:
Skin the rest of the apricots by blanching. Cut the apricots in half
and stone them. Put into a bowl. Make a stock syrup with the kirsch,
sugar, water and zest. Drop the apricots into the syrup and poach
lightly. If they are fully ripe this will only take a minute and the
fruit will be a bright orange colour. Chill well before serving.
Drizzle the plate with a little apricot syrup and top the fruit with a
sprig of mint.
Yields
1 servings