Tana Ramsay's apricot tart recipe

Tana's seasonal and simple apricot tart includes her dessert pastry recipe, which makes a crisp pastry case that's baked with a creamy mascarpone and apricot filling.

Ingredients

For the

dessert pastry:

(Use 375g or 13oz for this recipe and freeze the leftovers)

• 125g (41/2oz) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing
• 250g (9oz) plain flour, plus extra if necessary and for dusting
• 50g (13/4oz) icing sugar
• 2 large free-range eggs
• Dash of milk

For the

apricot tart:

• 375g (13oz) dessert pastry
• Butter, for greasing
• Plain flour, for dusting
• 1 large free-range egg
• 500g (1lb 2oz) mascarpone cheese
• 2tbsp icing sugar, sifted
• 2 large free-range egg yolks
• 1tsp cornflour
• 8 apricots, halved and stoned
• 2tbsp apricot jam, well stirred to loosen
• 1tbsp caster sugar

You'll also need:

• 30cm (12in) loose-bottomed fluted tart tin

Method

1. Lightly grease a 30cm (12in) loose-bottomed fluted tart tin and line the base with parchment paper.
2. Start by making the dessert pastry: sift the flour and icing sugar into a large mixing bowl and add the butter cubes. Using your fingertips, rub the butter in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. At this stage, either continue with your hands or transfer to a food mixer with a dough hook. Beat together one of the eggs with the milk, add this to the flour mixture and mix until it just comes together into a crumbly ball of dough. Do not overwork it; it should look a little dry. Add a little more flour if needed. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in clingfilm and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 45 mins or overnight.
3. For the apricot tart: roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until about 5mm (1/4in) thick. Use it to line the tart tin, making sure that you gently press the pastry into the corner and fluted edge. Cover loosely with clingfilm and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 45 mins.
   
4. Preheat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F/Gas Mark 6.
5. Discard the clingfilm from the chilled tart case. Line with parchment paper and fill with baking beans, then ‘blind bake’ in the oven for 15 mins, until lightly golden. Remove the tart case from the oven and lift out the paper and beans. Lightly beat the whole egg and use it to brush the inside of the tart case all over, then return to the oven for a further 5 mins, to seal the pastry and stop the base from becoming soggy. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly. Keep the oven on at the same temperature.
6. For the filling: put the mascarpone in a large mixing bowl, add the icing sugar, egg yolks and cornflour and stir well. Spread the mascarpone mixture evenly on to the base of the tart case, smoothing off the top. Arrange the halved apricots, cut side up, over the mascarpone filling, pushing them slightly down into the mixture. Brush the apricot jam on to the cut side of each apricot and sprinkle over the caster sugar.
7. Bake in the oven for 25-30 mins, until the mascarpone mixture is firm. Leave to cool slightly before serving in slices.