Apricot Frangipane Tart

A really quick and simple tart, which easily feeds a crowd - what's not to like?  Made from ready rolled puff pastry, so very little preparation and mess.    This was taken from Delicious Magazine, and is definitely worth making as it makes a large freeform tart that you can cut up into slices or squares.  The recipe calls for small apricots, which look prettier than big fleshy ones.   It also includes honeycomb, something I didn't bother with.

Apricot Frangipane Tart

Apricot Frangipane Tart

Frangipane:

3.5oz/100g unsalted butter, softened

4oz/110g caster sugar

1 egg

5oz/125g ground almonds

1.5oz/35g plain flour

2 tbsp amaretto (if you don’t have any, use 1 tsp almond flavouring)

1 pack ready to roll puff pastry

14 small ripe apricots, cut into wedges

4 floz/100ml runny honey (approx ¼ jar)

6 sprigs of thyme

6oz/150g honeycomb, broken into pieces

Pre-heat the oven to 220 deg C.     Put the butter and sugar into a food processor (or just use a whisk with a deep bowl!) and beat until thick and pale, before adding the rest of the frangipane ingredients and pulsing to combine them.   Allow this to chill for about 15 minutes to firm up (confession – I didn’t bother).

Unroll the pastry onto a large piece of baking paper (or use the paper that comes with it) then put it straight onto a baking tray.   Score a line along the inside edge of the pastry, about 1”/2cm, to make a border, but don’t cut through the pastry.  Prick the base with a fork.

Within the border of the tart, spread over the frangipane mixture and then add the apricots.  Put in the oven and turn down the temperature straight away to 200 deg C.    The suggestion is you bake it for 35 minutes until it has cooked through and the filling is set.   I’d check if I were you – mine didn’t take as long.   Warm the runny honey until it is really liquid and pour it over the tart while it is hot.   Add the little pieces of thyme and honeycomb.   Eat hot or cold.