Easy apricot tart

Impress guests with our easy apricot and marzipan tart for dessert. Make the marzipan, but you can use ready-rolled puff pasty and canned apricots for ease

Prep:30 mins
Cook:20 mins

Serves 8
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 811
fat 46g
saturates 9g
carbs 80g
sugars 0g
fibre 2g
protein 19g
salt 0.4g

Ingredients

320g sheet ready-rolled puff pastry
250g fresh or canned apricots (if fresh, destone and halve; if canned, drain)
1 tbsp flaked almonds
3 tbsp apricot jam
cream or ice cream, to serve
175g golden caster sugar
280g icing sugar
450g ground almonds
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
½ tsp lemon juice
4 tbsp single cream

Method

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.