Apricot Almond Bakewell Food

APRICOT AND ALMOND TART

Steps:

• For the pastry, put the sugar and butter in a bowl and beat together with a wooden spoon (cream) until combined. Sift over the flour and gently mix until incorporated. Stir in the egg, then lightly bring together with your hands. Tip onto a work surface, then lightly knead a few times to make a smooth dough. Divide in half, wrap each piece well in cling film, then leave to rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
• Gently knead one piece of pastry to make it more pliable, then gently shape into a ball and squash down slightly on an unfloured surface. Gently roll the pastry with a rolling pin as quickly as possible, repeatedly turning it about 45 degrees to keep the circle shape.
• When you feel the pastry softening slightly, add a little flour to the work surface and the top of the pastry, then keep rolling until you have a rough circle about 6cm wider than your tin and 3mm thick. Trim the edges a little to make an even circle about 3-4cm wider than your tin.
• Carefully roll the pastry up around the rolling pin, then lay it over the tart case and unroll it from the pin with the floured underside facing up and the more buttery side against the metal tin. Press evenly into the base and sides of the tin, folding the excess back over the outside of the tin. Trim the edge slightly so about 5mm of the tin's outside is showing. Bring the trimmings together and use to help press the pastry into the corners and flutes of the tin, then cover with cling film and chill again for 30 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5. Fill the pastry case with baking paper and ceramic baking beans or uncooked rice. Put on a baking sheet, cook for 15 minutes, then remove the beans/rice and paper. Bake for 5 minutes more until sandy to the touch. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, make the frangipane filling. Using a wooden spoon or electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl with the vanilla, nutmeg and orange zest. Add the ground, whole and flaked almonds and flour, then mix well. Beat in the egg and rum until smooth.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 170°C/150°C fan/gas 3½. Fill the tart case with the frangipane mix and use a dessert spoon or spatula to level the top. Top with the apricot halves or quarters and bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown and slightly springy.
• Once out of the oven, use a small, sharp serrated knife to cut around the edges of the tart to remove the excess overhang and create super-sharp edges.
• Gently warm the apricot jam, brandy and a splash of water in a pan or the microwave and brush all over the tart while still warm, brushing first the frangipane, then the apricots, then the frangipane again. Serve warm in slices, topped with crème fraîche.

APRICOT & ALMOND BAKEWELL

Steps:

• Roll out the pastry with a little flour until big enough to line a deep 20-23cm loosebottom tart tin. Line the tin with the pastry, leaving any excess overhanging. Chill or freeze for 30 mins.
• Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line the pastry with baking paper, fill with baking beans, then bake blind for 20 mins. Remove the paper and beans, then bake for 5 mins more until the pastry is pale biscuit coloured.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Whizz the madeira cake in a food processor, then tip into a large bowl with the flour, butter, ground almonds, caster sugar and eggs. Briefly beat together until smooth.
• Reduce the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Tip the compote into the pastry case and spread to cover the base. Spoon over the almond mixture and gently spread to cover the compote. Scatter with the flaked almonds, then bake for 1 hr until golden and firm to the touch. Remove onto a serving plate and serve slightly warm, dusted with icing sugar with Greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey alongside.

APRICOT ALMOND SCONES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a large cookie sheet.
• In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Using a pastry blender cut in butter, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in apricots and almonds.
• Pour buttermilk over flour mixture and stir with fork until the dough comes together. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead 4-5 times. Divide dough in half.
• Shape each half into 8" circles. Using a floured knife, cut each circle into 8 wedges. Place wedges onto greased cookie sheet. Brush tops of scones with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

ZAARBUCKS FAMOUS APRICOT ALMOND SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Prepare baking sheet by spraying lightly with cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, combine the the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Cut in the margarine until the mixture resembles course meal.
• Add the apricots and almonds into the flour mixture and mix thoroughly.
• In a smaller bowl, mix together the yogurt, sour cream, and extracts.
• Cut and fold the yogurt/sour cream mixture into the flour until you can collect the dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface just until it can be shaped. If the dough is too sticky add a little more flour but take care not to add too much as it toughens up the scones. Similarly, over kneading the dough also diminishes the final result.
• Place the dough ball on the baking sheet and spread out into an 8 or 10 inch disk.
• Lightly brush the milk on the top and sprinkle with the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar.
• Using a very long knife (bread knives work well) cut half way through the dough. You are making indentations, not actually portioning the scone. Repeat until the scone has been divided into 8 wedges. (You can also cut into 12 pieces if you want smaller pieces).
• Bake the scones 20 - 22 minutes.
• Best served warm but cold is good too.
• Enjoy!