Apricot Tart With Cornmeal Crust Food

ROASTED APRICOT TART

Steps:

• For the tart crust, roll the dough to a rough 12-inch disk and transfer it to the cookie sheet. Pierce the dough all over with a fork and place a plate or pattern on to and cut it to a perfect 11-inch circle. Butter the bottom of one of the cake pans and center it on the disk of dough. Chill one hour.
• While the dough is chilling, cook the apricots. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and set a rack in the middle level. Thickly butter the other pan and sprinkle it with the brown sugar. Arrange the apricot halves, skin side down in the pan, alternating a dried apricot with every two fresh apricot halves. Sprinkle with the remaining butter and then the lemon juice. Bake the apricots about 40 minutes, until they are well cooked through. Cool on a rack.
• To bake the tart crust, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and place the cookie sheet and dough, still covered by the cake pan into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the cake pan. Continue baking about 15 to 20 minutes more, until deep golden and crisp, piercing the dough with a fork if it bubbles up. Cool the crust in the pan on a rack.
• To assemble the tart, reheat the apricots for a few seconds over low heat to make sure they are not stuck to the pan. Invert the tart crust to a cardboard and slide the crust over the top of the pan the apricots are in. Cover the crust with the cardboard or a platter and invert the apricots onto the crust. Remove the pan and rearrange the apricots if necessary. Serve tepid with some whipped cream.

APRICOT TART WITH CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• For crust:
• Whisk flour, cornmeal and salt in small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl to blend. Beat in egg yolks. Add dry ingredients and beat just until blended. Divide dough in half; flatten into disks. Wrap each dough disk in plastic and refrigerate 20 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before using.)
• Meanwhile, prepare apricot filling:
• Bring 5 cups water to simmer in heavy medium pot over medium heat. Add apricots and poach until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly oil 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Unwrap 1 dough disk; press onto bottom and up sides of tart pan. Spread apricot preserves over bottom of crust. Place poached apricots over preserves, covering crust completely and overlapping slightly. Using pastry brush, brush beaten egg over edges of crust. Roll out second dough disk between 2 sheets of parchment paper to 12-inch round. Remove top piece of parchment; using 1-inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut hole in center of top crust. Turn crust over onto filling. Remove second piece of parchment paper. Press around crust edges to seal. Cut off excess dough to make top crust flush with tart pan sides. Brush crust with beaten egg and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar.
• Bake tart until cornmeal crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer apricot tart to rack. Cool 30 minutes. Remove tart from pan and cool completely. (Apricot tart can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.) Serve tart with Apricot Sauce and whipped cream, if desired.

CHOCOLATE APRICOT TART

Steps:

• For the crust: Combine the flour, almonds, sugar and salt in a food processor and blend until the nuts are finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Pour in the vodka and 1 tablespoon water and pulse until the dough just comes together in a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, press it into a disc and refrigerate until slightly firm, about 20 minutes.
• Turn the dough out into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Top with a piece of plastic wrap and press the dough out evenly through the plastic wrap on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pierce the dough lightly with a fork, and then line the crust with parchment or foil and fill with pie weights, beans or rice. Bake until the crust sets, about 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and beans and then return to the oven until the crust turns a rich golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Let cool.
• For the apricot and chocolate filling: Combine the apricots, brandy and 1/4 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave for 2 minutes, and then set aside to plump.
• 5. Put the chocolates in a medium bowl. Heat the half-and-half in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk together the eggs and sugar in a separate medium bowl, and then gradually whisk in the heated cream. Pour back into the pan and cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, over medium-low heat until thick, about 1 minute. Pour the mixture over the chocolate, let set for 5 minutes, and then whisk in the butter until very smooth.
• Blend the apricots and their liquid with the vanilla in a mini food processor until very smooth. Spread 3/4 cup of the mixture over the bottom of the crust. Top with the chocolate mixture. Cover loosely and refrigerate until set, about 3 hours or up to overnight.
• Meanwhile, whip the cream until it barely holds soft peaks. Whisk in the remaining apricot mixture to make a smooth thick cream. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. To serve, pipe or spoon small dollops of the cream around the edge of the crust.

RUSTIC APRICOT TART

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch and pumpkin pie spice. Add apricots and toss to coat. , Place pastry on a parchment-lined 12-in. pizza pan. Brush with egg white to within 1-1/2 in. of edges. Spoon apricot mixture over egg white; sprinkle with almonds. Fold up edges of pastry over filling, leaving center uncovered. Brush folded pastry with milk; sprinkle with remaining sugar. , Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly. Use parchment to slide tart onto a wire rack to cool.

RUSTIC CHERRY-APRICOT TART

Steps:

• Crust:Pulse flour, cornmeal, granulated sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle in 6 tablespoons ice water evenly. Pulse until dough holds together when pressed between 2 fingers (it should not be wet or sticky). If too dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue pulsing. Shape into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour; or freeze up to 3 months.
• Filling:In a large bowl, combine apricots, cherries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt. On a lightly floured piece of parchment, roll out dough to a 15-inch circle. Transfer to a 10-inch pie dish; pour filling into crust. Fold edges of crust over filling, overlapping as necessary. Brush edges of dough with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with racks in middle and bottom. Place a foil-lined baking sheet on bottom rack. Bake on middle rack until pastry is golden and juices are bubbling in center, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. (If crust is browning too quickly, tent with foil.) Transfer to a wire rack; let cool at least 2 hours before serving. Pie can be stored at room temperature up to 1 day.

BRANDIED APRICOT TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add egg yolk. Gradually add milk, tossing with a fork until a ball forms., Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 11-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 350°., In a small saucepan, combine preserves and brandy; cook and stir over low heat until melted. Brush 2 tablespoons over crust. Arrange apricots over crust and brush with preserve mixture. , Bake 18-22 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with almonds. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

DIABETIC FRIENDLY COUNTRY APRICOT TART

Steps:

• Grease and lightly flour a large baking sheet; set aside.
• For the cornmeal crust, in a medium bowl stir together 3/4 cup flour, cornmeal, 2 tablespoons Splenda, baking powder, and salt.
• Cut in butter or margarine until the size of small peas.
• Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cold fat-free milk over mixture; gently toss with a fork.
• Add 3 to 4 tablespoons more fat-free milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is moistened (dough will be crumbly).
• Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 7 to 8 times or just until dough clings together and form into a ball. On the baking sheet, flatten dough.
• Roll into a 12-inch circle and set aside.
• For Filling:.
• In a bowl stir together 1/3 cup Splenda, the 3 tablespoons flour, and the nutmeg or cinnamon. Stir in the apricots or peaches and lemon juice.
• Mound the filling in center of crust, leaving a 2-inch border.
• Fold border up over filling.
• Brush top and sides of crust with the 2 teaspoons milk.
• Bake in a 350 F degree oven about 40 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly.
• To prevent overbrowning, cover the edge of the crust with foil the last 10 to 15 minutes of baking if needed.
• Cool tart for 30 minutes on the baking sheet on a wire rack.

TIETON APRICOT TART WITH BASIL CUSTARD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Whisk all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, almond meal, 1 tablespoon sugar, lemon zest, and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is in pea-sized crumbles. Stir in buttermilk until dough comes together.
• Press dough evenly over the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a 12x16-inch tart pan or sheet pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Whisk egg yolks, 2/3 cup sugar, and cornstarch together in a heavy-bottomed pot. Whisk in milk. Add whole basil sprigs.
• Cook milk mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to steam, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Remove basil sprigs with tongs and discard. Whisk vigorously until custard thickens, about 1 minute.
• Set a wire mesh strainer over a large bowl. Pour custard into the strainer; use a rubber spatula to press it through the strainer into the bowl. Whisk vanilla extract into the custard. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours.
• Pour cooled custard over crust; spread evenly to edges of crust with a rubber spatula. Arrange apricot slices on top.
• Scoop apricot jam into a small microwave-safe bowl; microwave on high until melted, about 1 minute. Brush jam over apricot slices.

APRICOT CREAM TART

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Pulse almonds, flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until almonds are very finely chopped. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Add yolk and extracts and pulse just until mixture begins to clump.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice with a forward motion to distribute fat. Gather dough together into a ball with scraper and transfer to tart pan. Pat dough with floured fingers into tart pan in an even 1/4-inch-thick layer, including side (side should be flush with top of rim). Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Make filling while dough chills:
• Toss apricots with Amaretto and 1/4 cup sugar, then let macerate until juicy, at least 1 hour.
• Whisk together preserves, whole egg, yolk, cream, almond extract, a pinch of salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in another bowl until combined. Chill, covered, until ready to use.
• Bake tart shell:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Line tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until side is set and edge is pale golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake shell until bottom is pale golden, 5 to 7 minutes more. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 15 minutes.
• Fill and bake tart:
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
• Lift apricots from liquid with a slotted spoon and arrange, skin sides down, in tart shell. Whisk remaining apricot liquid into egg mixture, then pour over apricots(fruit will poke through filling). Cover edge of tart shell with a pie shield or foil and bake tart until filling is set and slightly puffed, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool tart completely in pan on rack.

FRESH APRICOT TART

Steps:

• To make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Brush a 8-by-11-inch tart pan with removable bottom with butter.
• Place the almonds and 1 tablespoon sugar in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until the almonds are finely ground. Add the butter, and process until combined. Pulse in the flour, the remaining 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon sugar, and the almond extract until combined.
• Transfer the crumbly dough to the prepared pan. Using your fingers, pat out dough evenly to make a thin crust along the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Chill the crust 30 minutes.
• Bake crust until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• To make the filling and assemble the tart: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the almond slices in a single layer in a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until golden, about 10 minutes. Shake the pan halfway through baking to make sure the nuts toast evenly. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar, salt, all-purpose flour, almond flour, and baking powder; whisk together. Whisk in the eggs, melted butter, and half-and-half until well combined. Pour the filling into the baked crust.
• Arrange the apricot halves, cut sides up, on top of the filling, packing the fruit closely together. Sprinkle the tops of the apricots with the remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Sprinkle the toasted almonds over the entire tart.
• Bake the tart until the filling is puffed and golden brown, 60 to 70 minutes, rotating the pan after 30 minutes for even browning. Transfer tart to a wire rack to cool. Unmold, and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

FRESH APRICOT TART

Steps:

• To make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.with rack in center. Brush and 8-by-11-inch tart pan with removable bottom with butter.
• Place the almonds and 1 tablespoon sugar in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until the almonds are finely ground. Add the butter, and process until combined. Pulse in the flour, the remaining 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon sugar, and the almond extract until combined.
• Transfer the crumbly dough to the prepared pan. Using your fingers, pat out dough evenly to make a thin crust along the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Chill the crust 30 minutes.
• Bake crust until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• To make the filling and assemble the tart: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the almond slices in a single layer in a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until golden, about 10 minutes. Shake the pan halfway through baking to make sure the nuts toast evenly. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar, salt, all-purpose flour, almond flour, and baking powder; whisk together. Whisk in the eggs, melted butter, and half-and-half until well combined. Pour the filling into the baked crust.
• Arrange the apricot halves, cut-sides up, on top of the filling, packing the fruit closely together. Sprinkle the tops of the apricots with the remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Sprinkle the toasted almonds over the entire tart.
• Bake the tart until the filling is puffed and golden brown, 60 to 70 minutes, rotating the pan after 30 minutes for even browning. Transfer tart to a wire rack to cool. Unmold, and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar just before serving.