Individual Apricot Tarts Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees with rack in upper third position. Generously butter a standard 12-cup nonstick muffin pan. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pate brisee to about 1/8-inch thick. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 12 rounds. Transfer rounds to a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and place in freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the caramel: combine the sugar with 3 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and cook, swirling the pan occasionally (do not stir), over medium-high heat until deep amber, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter. Divide caramel among prepared muffin cups. Place two apricot halves, cut side up, in each muffin cup. Remove the chilled pastry rounds from freezer and place on top of apricots.
• Place muffin pan on the chilled baking sheet and bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until pastry is crisp and golden brown, 30 to 32 minutes. Top muffin pan with a rimmed baking sheet and invert. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream, if desired.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese and flour until blended. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. , For filling, in a small saucepan, bring apricots and water to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Drain. Add the pecans, sugar, marmalade, cinnamon and cloves; set aside., Shape dough into 24 balls. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of greased miniature muffin cups. Spoon filling into cups. , Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until browned. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , For topping, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spoon a dollop onto each tart. Store in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour and confectioners' sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolk and water; stir until dough forms a ball. Roll into twenty-four 1-in. balls. Press onto the bottoms and up the sides of greased miniature muffin cups., In a small bowl, beat almond paste and butter until blended; beat in egg white and almond extract. Spoon into tart shells, about 2 teaspoons in each., Bake at 350° until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Top with apricot preserves.

Steps:

• In bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Add butter; process until mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds. With machine running, add 1/4 cup ice water in a slow stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being sticky; do not process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a bit together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Divide pate brisee dough in half. Flatten halves, and wrap in plastic; chill at least 30 minutes.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out half the pate brisee to a 1/8-inch-thick rectangle, about 6 by 11 inches. Using a 5-inch round cutter or a bowl, cut out 2 circles; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Using a fork, poke several holes around crusts. Chill dough on sheet for 15 minutes.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake until pale golden, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven; reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Arrange apricots in a fan shape on tarts. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar on each tart; bake until tarts are golden and apricots start to brown, 25 to 35 minutes. As tarts bake, warm jam in a saucepan. Remove tarts from oven; cool. Strain glaze into a bowl; discard solids. Brush glaze on tarts.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat, and set aside on a floured surface. Roll dough out to a 14-inch circle, and place on paper.
• In a medium bowl, toss apricots together with sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon juice, and zest. Place apricot mixture on the center of the dough. Spread out, leaving a 2-inch border of dough; turn ends of apricots upward. Fold the dough up and over the apricots, making a crease or fold every 4 to 5 inches to enclose fruit and prevent juices from seeping out.
• Brush dough thoroughly with heavy cream; sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 minutes, and lower oven temperature to 375 degrees, rotating baking sheet 45 degrees. Continue to bake until tart is evenly browned and apricots are bubbling, about 25 minutes more.
• Transfer tart from baking sheet to a cooling rack, and cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set out two 6-ounce ramekins.
• Place puff pastry sheet on a work surface and let thaw for just 5 minutes; it should still be partially frozen and very firm. Use a round pastry cutter the same diameter as your ramekins to cut out 2 rounds of dough. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Prick each pastry round all over with a fork.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the pastries are puffed up and the bottoms are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and slide parchment paper off the baking pan onto a work surface; press warm pastries down lightly with the back of a fork to deflate them a bit. Let cool.
• Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Mix brown sugar, white sugar, a pinch of cinnamon, and a very small pinch of salt together in a bowl.
• Use 1 1/2 teaspoons butter to generously grease the bottom and sides of each ramekin. Spoon the sugar mixture evenly into each ramekin, reserving about 1 1/2 teaspoons for later. Shake ramekins gently to settle and flatten the sugar mixture.
• Fill a bowl with 3 cups cold water. Add lemon juice.
• Turn one apple on its side; trim about 1/4 inch off the top and bottom of the apple, then cut it in half through the center. Repeat with the second apple.
• Peel around the apple halves to remove the peel; discard. Continue to peel the flesh, making ribbons as long and as thick as possible until you reach the core, letting the ribbons drop into the water. As long as your ribbons are 3- to 4-inches long, that's fine.
• Pull out 3 to 4 of the longest ribbons and line them up on a work surface into one long ribbon, overlapping the ends an inch or so. Roll the ribbon up tightly to form the center of the tart, then turn it up on its end. Coil more ribbons around the center, overlapping as you go, until you have a coil that's the same diameter as your ramekin. Pick up the apple coil and place it into the ramekin, with the flat side on top of the sugar. Repeat to make the second tart.
• Dot 1/2 teaspoon butter over each tart, then sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture. Top each tart with a pastry round, placing the fork-poked side down on the apples.
• Bake in the preheated oven until pastries have browned and juices are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and press the hot pastries down gently with a fork. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
• Run a knife around each pastry, then turn over onto serving plates. Use a spoon to go around each tart to separate the layers and create more definition, if desired.

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.

Steps:

• To Prepare Crust:.
• In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup butter. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixture until smooth.
• Add one egg, beating until smooth. Gradually add 1/4 cup ground almonds and the flour, beating at low speed until just combined (dough will be sticky).
• Cover and chill dough for 1 hour. Roll chilled dough into 1-inch balls; press into bottom and two-thirds up sides of each cup of a miniature muffin pan, or 1 large tart tin.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• To Make Filling:.
• In a medium bowl, combine 3/4 cup sugar, melted butter, cream, 2 eggs, the vanilla, the almond extract, 1/2 cup ground almonds, and the lemon zest. Whisk to combine.
• Spoon filling mixture into each crust.
• Pit and slice apricots. Arrange apricot slices over the top of each tart.
• To make glaze, mix apricot jam with a little water, brush over tops of fruit.
• Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Dust tops with icing sugar while still warm.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch (23cm) fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Set aside.
• Make the pastry:
• In a large bowl, combine the melted butter and the sugar, and using a wooden spoon, stir to blend. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to form a soft, cookie-like dough. Transfer the dough to the center of the buttered pan. Using the tips of your fingers, evenly press the pastry along the bottom and up the sides of the pan. The pastry will be quite thin.
• Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake unitl the dough is slightly puffy and set, 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle the ground almonds over the bottom of the crust. (This will prevent the crust from becoming soggy.)
• Meanwhile make the filling:
• In a medium-size bowl, combine the crème fraîche, egg, extracts and honey and whisk to blend. Whisk in the flour.
• Pour the filling evenly over the pastry. Starting just inside the edge of the pan, neatly overlap the halved apricots, cut side up, at an angle. Arrange in two or three concentric circles, working toward the center. Fill in the center with the remaining apricots.
• Place the tart pan on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake until the filling is firm and the pastry is a deep golden brown, 55 to 60 minutes. The apricots will shrivel slightly. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Place the tart on a rack to cool. Sprinkle again with confectioners' sugar just before serving.