Apricot Crème Brûlée Tart Recipes

Steps:

• Make tart shell:
• Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl (or pulse in a food processor). Blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse) until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size lumps of butter. Add 3 tablespoons water and stir into flour (or pulse) until incorporated.
• Gently squeeze a small handful of dough: If it doesn't hold together, add water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) after each addition. Do not overwork dough or pastry will be tough.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round. Fit dough into tart pan and fold overhang inward to reinforce side. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Lightly prick bottom of shell all over with a fork, then line with parchment or foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until edge is pale golden and side is set, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Carefully remove weights and parchment and bake shell until golden, 10 to 15 minutes more.
• Remove tart shell from oven and reduce temperature to 300°F.
• Make filling:
• While shell bakes, split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape seeds into a heavy medium saucepan with tip of a paring knife. Add pod to saucepan with cream and milk. Heat over medium heat until hot, then let steep off heat 30 minutes.
• Whisk together yolks, whole egg, 6 tablespoons sugar, and salt in a quart measuring cup, then whisk into cream mixture until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve back into measuring cup.
• Put tart shell (in pan) in a 4-sided sheet pan. Put in oven, then pour custard into shell. Bake until just set but still slightly wobbly in center, 30 to 35 minutes (custard will continue to set as it cools). Remove tart from sheet pan and cool on a rack 30 minutes. Remove side of pan and cool to room temperature, about 1 hour more.
• Just before serving, sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar evenly over top of tart. Move blowtorch flame evenly back and forth just above top of tart, avoiding crust, until sugar is caramelized and slightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• For the pastry, beat the butter and sugar together until pale, mix in flour and almonds then stir in the egg until the pastry just comes together. Shape into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 mins.
• While the pastry is chilling, make the filling. Tip the apricots into a bowl. Bring the wine and the sugar to a rolling boil, then pour over the apricots and leave to steep in the liquid. In the same saucepan (there's no need to wash it) bring the vanilla and cream to the boil. Turn off the heat and leave the cream to infuse.
• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Roll the pastry to fit a 23cm fluted tart tin and leave it to chill in the freezer for 10 mins. Line the tart case with foil or greaseproof paper and fill the tart with baking beans. Bake the tart for 20 mins until the edges become biscuity, then remove the beans and foil or greaseproof paper and cook for a few more mins until the base starts to brown. Remove the tart from the oven and lower the heat to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3.
• While the tart case is cooking, whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Strain the vanilla cream over the eggs and whisk, then drain the apricots and mix the liquid in with the vanilla cream and the eggs to make a custard. Pull the apricots apart and press them sticky side down into the tart case. Pour the custard over the apricots and bake for about 20-30 mins until the filling is just set. Remove the tart from the oven and leave to cool. To serve, scatter the remaining sugar over the tart and blast with a blowtorch to caramelise it, leave it to harden for a minute and cut into slices and serve. As there are so many lovely flavours in the tart already it needs no accompaniment

Steps:

• Pulse flour, confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, and salt for crust in a food processor to combine. Add cold butter and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Mix egg yolks and lemon juice together in a small bowl; pour in through the chute and process until dough forms into a ball.
• Use floured hands to remove crust mixture and press into two 9-inch tart or pie pans, covering the bottoms and up the sides. Chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Remove crusts from the oven and line with foil and pie weights.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights and loosely cover the crust edges with foil. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and bake for 15 more minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
• While the crusts are cooling, prepare filling: Remove lemon zest in strips with from both lemons with a vegetable peeler. Set lemons aside for another use. Place zest in a medium saucepan with cream, milk, and vanilla paste; bring to a simmer, then turn off heat and cover.
• Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a 5-quart pot. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and lemon juice together in a heat-proof bowl over the water until sugar has dissolved; make sure the bowl is not touching the water. Stir with a heat-resistant spatula until mixture is thick and pale yellow, with a consistency of heavy cream, about 8 minutes.
• Slowly stir in heavy cream-lemon zest mixture and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until custard thickly coats the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should read between 195 and 200 degrees F (91 to 93 degrees C).
• Dissolve gelatin in water in a small bowl. Stir gelatin mixture into the custard and cook for 3 to 5 more minutes. Strain custard through a fine sieve into a 2-quart measure. Pour into the cooled crusts and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours.
• When ready to serve, sprinkle 1/2 of the sugar over each tart to within 1 inch of the outer edges. Brûlée with a torch until sugar bubbles and is caramelized. Refrigerate, uncovered, until topping hardens, about 10 minutes, before serving.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Divide chopped apricots evenly among six 4-ounce ramekins.
• Using electric mixer on low speed, beat egg yolks, egg, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon for 1 minute.
• In saucepan over medium-high heat, cook heavy cream 5 minutes, or until thermometer (not touching sides of pan) reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit. DO NOT BOIL.
• With mixer on low speed, slowly add heavy cream to egg mixture.
• Stir in peach-flavored liqueur.
• Divide egg mixture evenly among prepared ramekins.
• Place ramekins in baking pan. Fill baking pan with 1 inch of boiling water.
• Bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, or until custard is set.
• Remove ramekins from water bath; let cool to room temperature.
• Chill for 4 hours.
• To serve, sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar evenly over top of each ramekin (1 teaspoon per ramekin). Place under broiler 1 minute or until sugar is golden brown and carmelizes evenly.
• Let sit 1 minute, or until sugar hardens.
• Dust with confectioner's sugar and garnish with whipped cream, toasted sliced almonds and apricot roses, if desired.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch tart pan with 1-inch rim and removable bottom with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
• In large bowl, beat softened butter and 1/2 cup sugar with spoon until blended. Beat in 1 egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until well blended. Pat and press dough very firmly with floured fingers in bottom and up side of tart pan. Place tart pan on rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake 10 to 14 minutes or until crust is set in center but still pale. Cool 10 minutes. Using a flat-bottom measuring cup, carefully press to flatten partially baked dough in center and up sides.
• Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat egg yolks, 1 egg and 3 tablespoons sugar with whisk. Beat in whipping cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Place tart pan on rimmed baking sheet. Pour egg mixture into partially baked crust. Carefully transfer to oven on baking sheet.
• Bake 30 to 34 minutes or until custard layer is just set. Cool on cooling rack 30 minutes. Refrigerate uncovered at least 2 hours.
• Before serving, set oven control to broil. Cover crust edge with 2- to 3-inch wide strip of foil to prevent excessive browning. Sprinkle top of tart with 2 tablespoons sugar. Place tart pan on rimmed baking sheet with top about 5 inches from heat. Broil 1 to 2 minutes or until top is brown and sugar is melted. Remove from oven. Remove tart from pan. This recipe is best made the same day it is served.

Steps:

• Put the flour, a pinch of salt and the butter in a food processor and pulse until it resembles fine crumbs. Add the sugar and orange zest, and briefly pulse again. Pour in 2 tbsp of the egg mixture and pulse until the dough comes together, adding more liquid if needed.
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line four deep-fluted tartlet tins (8 x 3cm). Place the tins on a tray and chill for 30 mins. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Line each pastry case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake for 10-15 mins, until the sides are set. Remove the parchment and beans and cook for 5-10 mins. Leave to cool. Can be made up to 1 day ahead at this stage and be stored in an airtight container. Lower the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2.
• Pour the cream into a heavy-based saucepan, scrape in the seeds from the vanilla pod, then throw in the 2 halves of the pod. Heat until small bubbles begin to form around the sides of the pan, then leave to infuse for 5 mins. Remove the pod. In a bowl, beat together the egg yolks, whole egg and sugar. Keep stirring, then pour in the cream, mixing until combined. Strain through a sieve into a jug. Pour the custard into the tart shells, then bake for 18-22 mins until almost set (they should be quite wobbly in the centre but will firm up on cooling). Leave to cool completely, then chill for 30 mins.
• Meanwhile, make the caramel topping. Grease a lipped metal baking tray with a little oil. Tip the caster sugar into a frying pan with 3 tbsp water and heat gently until the sugar starts to melt. Don't be tempted to stir the sugar, as this can encourage the caramel to crystalise. However, you can tilt the pan to move it around. Once the sugar is almost melted, turn up the heat and bubble the caramel to a deep golden-brown colour. Quickly tip onto the greased tray and leave to cool completely. Once cool, turn the tray upside down and tap to release the caramel. Break into pieces, then whizz in a food processor until you have fine crystals.
• Heat the grill. Scatter a thick layer of caramel crystals over the surface of each tart, and pop a collar of foil around the top edge of the pastry. Place under the grill, not too near the heat source, and let the caramel melt - watch carefully as they will burn easily. Leave to cool, then chill for 30 mins or until ready to serve.