EMILY'S RUSTIC APRICOT TART
Serves 6 to 8.
Note: Almond paste is available in baking section of most supermarkets.
Crust:
• 1 c. flour
• 5 tbsp. yellow cornmeal plus extra for the baking sheet
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 stick (4 oz. ) unsalted butter, chilled and diced into 1/2-in. pieces
• 3 to 4 tbsp. ice water
Filling:
• 7 oz. almond paste (see Note)
• 11/2 lb. fresh apricots, rinsed and dried, but unpeeled
• 6 tbsp. sugar
• 3 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. butter (for top of tart)
• Powdered sugar for dusting, optional
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream or 1 c. heavy cream, whipped and sweetened, optional
Directions
For crust, combine flour, cornmeal and salt in a food processor. Add butter and process, pulsing machine until mixture resembles coarse meal. With machine running, slowly add 3 tablespoons water. Stop machine to see if dough can be gathered easily into clumps. If dough is dry, add up to 1 tablespoon additional water and process a few seconds.
Remove dough, gather into a ball, and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill 30 minutes.
For filling, press almond paste into a disk, place between two sheets of waxed paper, and roll into a thin 8-inch round. Remove waxed paper, then place round on a plate and refrigerate uncovered.
Halve apricots lengthwise, and pit. Cut halves into 3/4-inch wedges and place in a large bowl along with sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Mix well.
Place chilled dough between two sheets of waxed paper; roll into a 12-inch round. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon corn meal on a large unrimmed baking sheet.
Remove one sheet of waxed paper and place dough (paper side up) on baking sheet. Remove other sheet of paper. Place almond paste on center of dough. Arrange apricots over almond paste and spoon any juices in bowl over them. Fold outer 2 inches of dough up over filling to partially cover. Dot apricots in the center with the tablespoon butter. Chill 1 hour.
Arrange a rack at center position and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake until crust is golden and apricots are bubbly, about 35 minutes. Remove and cool 10 minutes. If desired, sprinkle tart with sugar and serve with ice cream or whipped cream
Nutrition information per 8 servings:
Calories395Fat20 gSodium160 mg
Carbohydrates......51 g Saturated fat..........9 gCalcium48 mg
Protein6 g Cholesterol........34 mg Dietary fiber..........4 g
Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1/2 fruit, 1 bread/starch, 2 other carb, 4 fat.
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