Apricot And Cherry Country Tart Recipes

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.

APRICOT AND CHERRY COUNTRY TART

Steps:

• FOR CRUST:
• Stir flour, 1/8 teaspoon sugar and salt in bowl to blend. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until coarse meal forms. Mix in enough water by tablespoons until clumps form. Gather into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment. Roll out dough on floured surface to 11-inch round. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
• FOR FILLING:
• Mix flour and 2 teaspoons sugar in bowl. Sprinkle over crust, leaving 1 1/2-inch border. Place apricots cut side down on crust, placing close together and leaving 1-1/2 inch border at outer edge. Scatter cherries over apricots. Top with 4 tablespoons sugar. Fold pastry edges up around apricots, pressing against apricots to form scalloped border. Brush crust with butter; sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon sugar.
• Bake until crust is golden and fruit is tender (some juices from fruit will leak onto parchment), about 1 hour. Remove from oven. Using pastry brush, brush tart with juices on parchment. Gently slide parchment with tart onto rack. Carefully run long knife under tart to loosen (crust is fragile). Cool on parchment until lukewarm. Slide 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom under tart, then place tart on platter. Serve with ice cream or yogurt.

APRICOT AND CHERRY CROSTATA

Steps:

• Make crust
• Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter; cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Blend in water by tablespoonfuls until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill 30 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)
• Roll out dough between 2 sheets of plastic to 11-inch round. Remove top sheet of plastic from dough and invert dough onto 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Remove second sheet of plastic. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan. Fold excess dough in, forming double-thick sides. Pierce dough all over with fork. Freeze 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake crust until set but still pale, piercing with fork if crust bubbles, about 25 minutes. Cool on rack. Maintain oven temperature.
• Make filling
• Blanch apricots in pot of boiling water 1 minute. Transfer to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain. Peel, halve and pit apricots. Cut each apricot half into 3 wedges. Arrange, rounded side down, in crust. Arrange cherries over and around apricots. Sprinkle sugar over.
• Bake tart until apricots are tender, about 50 minutes. Transfer to rack. Stir apricot preserves in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted. Strain. Brush strained preserves over fruit in tart. Remove pan sides from tart. Place tart on platter. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

PRUNE, CHERRY, AND APRICOT FRANGIPANE TART

Steps:

• Make dried-fruit compote:
• Heat grappa with sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Add fruit and gently simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and let macerate, stirring occasionally, 24 hours.
• Make tart shell:
• Set flan ring on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. (If using a tart pan, parchment is not necessary.) Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round, then fit into flan ring and trim excess dough. Chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
• Lightly prick bottom of shell all over with a fork, then line with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until side is set and edge is pale golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove foil and weights and bake until bottom is golden, about 10 minutes more. Cool completely in pan, about 30 minutes. Leave oven on.
• Make frangipane filling and bake tart:
• Beat almond paste, butter, sugar, extract, and salt in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in flour.
• Spread frangipane filling in cooled shell. Drain fruit in a sieve set over a bowl, reserving syrup, and scatter fruit over filling, pressing in slightly. Bake until puffed and golden, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer tart on parchment to a rack. Brush reserved syrup over tart and cool to warm or room temperature.

CHERRY-APRICOT CREAM CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter and process, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles very coarse meal. Add yolk and process until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill 1 hour. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)
• Make filling:
• Beat cream cheese and orange peel in medium bowl to blend. Whisk sugar, yolks, cornstarch and flour in small bowl until smooth. Bring milk to simmer in saucepan. Gradually whisk hot milk into yolk mixture; return to same pan. Whisk over low heat until custard thickens and boils. Cool custard 15 minutes. Beat barely warm custard into cream cheese mixture. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of filling; chill until cold, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.
• Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough gently into place; trim excess dough. Freeze 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake crust 10 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Bake crust until golden, piercing with fork if bottom bubbles, about 5 minutes. Cool crust in pan on rack.
• Spread cream cheese filling over crust. Arrange cherries, cut side down, in 2 concentric circles around edge of tart. Arrange apricots in middle of tart, overlapping slightly. Place any remaining cherries in center. Stir preserves in saucepan over low heat until beginning to melt. Strain into small bowl. Brush enough preserves over fruit to glaze. Serve immediately or chill up to 6 hours.