Serves 8
500g shortcrust pastry (I buy ready made as I do not have a way with pastry)
800g apricots
6 tbsp sugar
1/2 pint water
1 tsp almond extract
– Roll out the pastry until a few millimeters thick and place over a flan dish. Trim off with a knife and prick the bottom of the tart all over with a fork.
– Bake blind (line with foil and put baking beans on top) at Gas Mark 5 for 20 minutes.
– Take 600 of the apricots and halve them, removing the stones.
– Put the water, almond extract and the sugar in a medium sized heavy bottomed pan and bring to the boil.
– Put the halved apricots skin up in the pan and simmer for 3 minutes. It is best to do this in batches.
– Remove the apricots to a bowl using a slatted spatula.
– Take the remaining 200g apricots and slice up into segments.
– Place these in the pan with the liquid and cook for 10 minutes, boiling constantly, until the fruit is very soft. Keep stiring occasionally.
– Turn off the heat and use a hand blender in the pan to puree the fruit.
– Spread half of the puree on the base of the flan.
-Arrange the halves fruit skin up on top of the puree then use a pastry brush to spread the rest of the puree on top of the fruit.
– Bake at Gas Mark 5 for 20 minutes.
Anna in the kitchen 