If you’re a fan of pastries with the appetizing richness and fragrance of almond paste, that’s what frangipane is all about. It’s happily combined here with a favorite shortbread-like crust and apricots. Apricots and almond paste are a beautiful partnership.
For years, dessert maven David Hirsch has been employing this recipe for Sweet Pastry Crust, originally published in our Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts, to provide the shell for all manner of tarts. It’s put to perfect use here.
Yields one 9- or 10-inch tart
Serves 8
Prep time: 30 minutes
Dough chilling time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 30 to 35 minutes
¾ cup dried apricots (about 14 apricots)
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups unbleached white all-purpose flour
½ cup (1 stick)/cold butter, cut into small chunks
1 large egg, separated
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
½ cup apricot preserves
7 to 8 ounces almond paste*
½ cup thinly sliced or slivered almonds
*We like Odense-brand almond paste because it has no preservatives.
In a bowl, soak the dried apricots in boiling water to cover. Set aside.
Make the crust: In the bowl of a food processor, whirl together the sugar, salt, and flour. Add the butter and pulse briefly, until the mixture is crumbly. Put the egg yolk in a small bowl and reserve the white for the filling. Add the vanilla and 2 tablespoons of cold water to the egg yolk and add it to the dough in the food processor; pulse briefly. With your fingers, push the dough together and if it doesn’t hold, add an additional tablespoon of cold water and pulse again. Remove the dough, form into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
While the dough is chilling, make the filling: Drain the apricots, reserving the soaking liquid. Finely chop the soaked apricots and combine them with the preserves. Set aside.
In the bowl of the food processor, whirl the almond paste, reserved egg white, and 3 tablespoons of the apricot soaking liquid until smooth. Set aside.
When the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a circle and fit it into the bottom of a 9½-inch tart pan with a removable rim or into a 9- or 10-inch pie plate.
Spread the almond paste mixture evenly on the dough. Spread the apricots and preserves evenly over the almond paste. Sprinkle the almonds on top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the crust is lightly browned. Cool before serving.
A dollop of whipped cream on the side would not be amiss. Such a succulent tart would be a fine dessert after a meal of Watercress Toast or Scalloped Potatoes and Mushrooms and Red Cabbage with Blueberries.