Lattice Topped Apricot Tart Recipes

LATTICE-TOPPED APRICOT CROSTATA

Steps:

• Cut butter into 1/2-inch pieces. In a bowl whisk together flours, sugar, and salt. With your fingertips or a pastry blender blend in butter until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with remainder in small (roughly pea-size) lumps. In a cup with a fork stir together whole egg and yolk until combined well and stir into flour mixture. Stir in vanilla and lemon juice and with hands gently knead mixture just until it forms a dough.
• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Form one third dough (about 1/2 pound) into a ball and flatten into a thin disk. Chill disk, wrapped in plastic wrap, while working with remaining two thirds.
• Reserve one fourth remaining dough and crumble remainder into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and pat out dough to evenly cover bottom (not side). With lightly floured hands roll reserved piece of dough into several 1/2-inch-thick ropes. Arrange ropes end-to-end around edge of pastry against rim of pan, pressing gently, to form a shallow side. Spread preserves over bottom.
• With a rolling pin roll out chilled dough between 2 sheets plastic wrap into an 11-inch round and transfer in plastic wrap to a baking sheet. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap and with a fluted pastry cutter cut round into 1-inch-wide strips. Freeze dough on baking sheet 10 minutes to firm up dough.
• Working quickly, carefully invert dough strips onto baking sheet and remove plastic. Arrange dough strips over tart in an open lattice pattern (do not make a woven lattice), trimming edges to fit inside rim of pan. (Don't worry if strips break while making the lattice. Just lay any broken pieces in place‑they will meld together during baking.) Brush lattice with cold water and sprinkle with sugar. Scatter almonds over crostata and bake in middle of oven 45 minutes, or until lattice is golden. Cool crostata in pan on a rack. Crostata may be made 2 days ahead and kept, loosely covered, at room temperature.

LATTICE-TOPPED APRICOT TART

Steps:

• for filling:
• Combine 1 pound apricots and 3 tablespoons water in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring often. Cover; cook over medium heat until apricots are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Stir in sugar; cook uncovered until apricots are very tender, liquid evaporates and mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Cool filling slightly. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)
• for crust:
• Mix flour, sugar and salt in medium bowl to blend. Add butter. Rub in with fingertips until coarse crumbs form. Using fork, mix in yolks. Transfer to work surface. Knead gently just until dough comes together. Divide dough into 2 pieces, using 2/3 of dough for 1 piece and remaining 1/3 for second piece. Flatten into disks. Wrap each disk in plastic. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
• Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Press larger dough disk onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Roll out second dough disk on parchment paper to 8-inch round. Cut dough into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Chill while filling tart. Spread apricot preserves evenly over bottom of unbaked crust. Spoon apricot filling over preserves. Arrange 1/2 pound apricot wedges atop filling. Arrange dough strips atop filling to form lattice. Trim ends of strips at tart pan edges. Brush lattice with egg glaze.
• Bake tart until crust is golden brown and fruit just bubbles, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool on rack 45 minutes. Using small knife, gently loosen tart from pan sides. Remove sides. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

EASY APRICOT TART

Steps:

• First, make the marzipan. Mix both sugars with the ground almonds and vanilla in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle. Reserve 1 tsp of the beaten egg in a small dish, then tip the rest into the well along with the lemon juice. Mix everything well, then mix in the cream, 1 tbsp at a time, until the mixture is spreadable (you may not need all the cream). Chill for 20 mins if it's too warm to spread properly, or greasy. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Roll out the puff pastry on a baking tray lined with baking parchment, then score it lightly around the edges to create a 1.5cm border - be careful not to cut all the way through. Lightly score a diamond pattern over the middle to keep the pastry from rising in the centre during cooking.
• Spread the marzipan over the middle of the pastry, leaving the border clear (see tip, below). Top with the apricots, cut-side down. Brush the border with the reserved beaten egg, then bake for 15 mins. Scatter over the flaked almonds. Bake for 5-10 mins more until the almonds are golden and the pastry has cooked through.
• Warm the jam over a low heat, then brush it over the apricots. Cut into squares and serve warm with ice cream or cream. Will keep chilled for up to two days.

OLD-FASHIONED LATTICE-TOP APPLE PIE

Steps:

• For crust:
• Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter and shortening and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 6 tablespoons ice water and process until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather into ball; divide into 2 pieces. Flatten each into disk. Wrap each in plastic; chill 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Let dough soften slightly before rolling out.)
• For filling:
• Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Mix first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Add apples and toss to blend.
• Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Fold edge under, forming high-standing rim; crimp. Add filling. Roll out second dough disk on floured surface to 13-inch round. Cut into twelve 1-inch-wide strips. Arrange 6 strips across pie. Form lattice by arranging 6 strips diagonally across first strips. Gently press ends into crust edges. Brush lattice with milk. Sprinkle lightly with additional sugar. Bake pie 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Continue baking until juices bubble thickly and crust is deep golden, covering edges with foil if browning too quickly, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Cool on rack 1 hour. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand on rack.)