Recipe | Roast apricot tart with cinnamon pastry

This is a good summer tart to make the most of apricots when they are in season.

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Use a 24cm square loose-bottomed tart tin

Ingredients

1 quantity Cinnamon Pastry (see recipe below)

6 fresh apricots, quartered

2 star anise

1 cinnamon quill

½ vanilla pod, split down the middle

1 heaped tbsp raw caster sugar

2 tsp liquid honey

Seeds of ½ vanilla pod

500g mascarpone

Fresh thyme leaves, optional

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Method

On a lightly floured bench, roll out the pastry into a square, 4mm thick. Use your tart tin as a measure and cut around it. To line the tin, roll the pastry backwards onto your rolling pin and then roll it forwards to release over the tin. Use your fingers to gently press the pastry to the corners and edges of the tin, then use your rolling pin to roll over the edges to cut off the excess. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 190˚C fan bake.

Use a fork to press some air holes into the pastry case and bake for 15 minutes. If it still rises up while cooking, use the tip of a sharp knife to create an air hole to release the steam.

Cool the tart case.

Place the apricots (cut side up) into a baking dish lined with baking paper, just big enough to hold them. Add the star anise, cinnamon quill and vanilla pod, then sprinkle the sugar over the top. Leave for 20 minutes.

Increase the oven to 200˚C fan bake and roast the apricots for 20 minutes, then leave to cool.

Stir the honey and vanilla seeds into the mascarpone. Spread the mascarpone into the tart case and then top with apricots, spooning over all the syrup that has formed in the roasting dish. Decorate with a few thyme leaves if you like.

Note: There is enough pastry and mascarpone here for a 26cm round tin. Add two more apricots if you make this size.

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Cinnamon pastry

Ingredients

300g high grade white flour 

200g cold butter, diced 

1½ tsp cinnamon 

Pinch salt 

70g brown sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tbsp milk

Method

Place the flour, butter, cinnamon and salt into a food processor with the blade attachment and process until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and continue processing while you add the egg, vanilla essence and milk until it just comes together. Remove the dough from the processor and finish bringing it together with your hands, if necessary. Form the dough into a ball, flatten slightly and wrap in cling film. Chill for 20 minutes before using.

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More recipes by Wendy Morgan here