About the Recipe
This tart recipe holds a special place in my heart. Originally a Bon Appetit Recipe I choose especially for my parents surprise 30th wedding anniversary party. Every year, when I see the first apricots at the farmers market, I can't wait to make this tart and share it with friends. It always reminds me of my parents love.
For the anniversary celebration, my boyfriend picked my parents up in a white convertible. They were serenaded on their drive with a mixtape of jazz songs I made, featuring a cover photo of them cutting their wedding cake. They had no idea where they were going until they arrived beautiful winery in Napa, where their best friends were waiting to surprise them along with a delicious meal, prepared by me and my boyfriend, to celebrate them.
I added this recipe to my website in their memory on the day that would have been my parents 54th anniversary.
Ingredients
Crust: Almond Flour: EASY OPTION VEGAN
½ cup blanched almond flour ( or hazelnut meal)
½ cup sweet white rice flour (or 1 to 1 all-purpose flour
½ cup GF oat flour (or sorghum, teff, or buckwheat flour)
2 tablespoons tapioca flour
¼ cup coconut sugar
¼ teaspoon fine pink salt
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter or plant butter, in 1⁄2-inch cubes (I like miyokos plant butter)
1 teaspoon GF vanilla extract
OR Crust: that tastes like Shortbread MORE DIFFICULT CONTAINS EGG
1.5 cups - 2 cups all purpose gluten – free flour
6 TBSP almonds toasted and cooled
1/8 cup sugar (I used coconut sugar)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter cut into small pieces
1 TBLS or more ice water
1/2 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp almond or vanilla extract
a little lemon zest
Filling:
1/2 cup pure apricot preserves
a little lemon zest.
lemon juice
water
3/4 cups almond, toasted and cooled
1 TBSP coconut sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
6- 9 large apricots, halved and pitted
Equipment:
Food processor or stand mixer
Position oven rack on the bottom
9" Tart pan or pie pan
Preparation
For Almond Crust:
In the bowl of a food processor (or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) combine the almond, sweet rice, and oat flours with the tapioca starch, sugar and salt.
Scatter the butter pieces over the top and drizzle with the vanilla extract. Run the mixer until the dough forms moist clumps and the butter is fully incorporated, 20-30 seconds, pulsing as you near the end so as not to over-process the dough. If using a stand mixer, run on medium-low until the dough comes together, 3–5 minutes.
If the dough refuses to come together or seems dry after thorough mixing, add up to 1 tablespoon more cold butter or plant butter. Or try adding a few drops of cold water or a little beaten egg or egg yolk.
Spray a 9-inch loose bottom tart pan (or six 4-inch tartlet pans) with 1-inch high sides lightly with cooking oil. I use my 9 inch pan and line it with parchment paper sprayed with a little olive oil.
Dump about half of the crumbs into the pan and press the dough evenly into the sides of the pan. Add the remaining crumbs and press them into the bottom, keeping the edges square. (It takes me about 10 minutes to make it look pretty.)
Bake for about 5 minutes
Place the tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake or a pie tin directly on the rack until pale golden and firm to the touch (15–20 minutes) for a parbaked crust, or until golden all over (5–10 minutes longer) for a fully baked crust. (If making tartlets, decrease the overall baking time by 5–10 minutes.
Remove the crust from the oven and, while it’s still hot, press the sides and bottom firmly with the back of a spoon or a cup; this will help it hold together when cool.
FOR Shortbread Crust: MORE DIFFICULT CONTAINS EGG
Blend flour, almonds, sugar and salt in the food processor until nuts are finely chopped.
Add butter; cut in using pulse on and off until it resembles fine meal.
Add 1 Tbsp water, yolk and extract.
Blend until moist clumps form, adding more water by tsp if dough is dry.
Gather dough into a ball.
Press into the bottom and up sides of a 9” diameter tart pan with removable bottom. or a 9" pie plate.
Chill 30 minutes. (Can be made a day ahead of time if you cover and keep chilled.
For Filling:
Stir preserves in a saucepan until melted. Add a little lemon juice and rind
Finely grind almonds, sugar, cinnamon in the food processor.
Spoon over crusts.
Arrange apricot halve, rounded side up, in crust, fitting snuggly.
Brush each tart with 2 Tbsp preserves.
Bake at 475 on lowest rack for 10 min. reduce the heat to 425 and continue baking for approximately 20 - 30 min or until apricots tender.
Cool for an hour.
Stir remaining preserves over low heat until warm and brush over the tart.
Let Sit at room temp
If in a tart pan unmold immediately to put on a cooling rack. When the tart has cooled, brush top with apricot and water mixture gently.