Apricot tart a perfect way to welcome stone

Apricots, members of the rose family, are also known as Armenian plums. They are less tart than plums and perhaps that is why Luther Burbank thought to hybridize apricots with plums to get a sweeter plum. (Pluots are one example.)

The word apricot comes from Latin and Arabic, apricot meaning "early-ripe," as in an early-ripened peach. Interestingly, apricot has the same root as the word precocious, which we used to describe children who seem to be wise beyond their years.

The Chinese are said to have been the first to cultivate apricots more than 4,000 years ago, although Alexander the Great gets the credit for introducing them to Europe and beyond. Today Iran and Turkey are the major producers of apricots; in the United States, they are mostly grown in California, but because they are highly perishable most of the harvest is dried and canned for year-round consumption.

The apricot seed has a kernel inside that has a bitter almond taste and is considered poisonous because it contains the chemical hydrogen cyanide, (although apparently you would have to eat an enormous amount of them to poison yourself). For this reason it is recommended that you roast the kernels before using them in confections and liqueurs.

Apricots are high in beta carotene, calcium, iron and vitamin A, and are touted as a beneficial food for eye health.

The following recipe, from David Lebovitz's cookbook "Ready for Dessert," is a favorite. It uses the classic combination of apricots and almonds found in many well-known breakfast pastries and desserts.

I posted a recipe for an apricot and cherry tart a few years ago, and today's recipe has some similar ingredients. Unlike the previous one, though, it has almond slices in the crust and the process for making the dough is different. This crust's ingredients are blended in the food processor. Then, using your fingers you push the dough into the sides and corners of the tart pan.

I made the crust the day before and left it in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, I prebaked the crust. While it was cooling, I made the filling and the topping.

It's a perfect way to welcome summer's stone-fruit season.

Claudia Alexander has been happily cooking for family and friends for more than three decades. The Marin resident has a weekly food blog, sweetbynurture.com. Contact her at [email protected].

Apricot Marzipan Tart

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup sliced almonds, almond meal, or almond flour

¼ cup of granulated sugar

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter cold

Pinch of salt

Filling:

10-12 apricots (approximately 1 lb.) cut into slices

1 tablespoon cornstarch

¼ cup granulated sugar

Topping:

4 ounces marzipan, almond paste

¼ cup sliced almonds

½ cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

4 tablespoons butter cold

DIRECTIONS

To make the crust, put the flour, almonds, sugar, and salt in the bowl of your food processor and pulse a couple times. Now chop the butter into big chunks and toss it with the flour mixture, pulsing 15 times or so until you see the mixture start to come together. Dump the entire bowl into your tart pan and using your fingers push it into the sides until you get an even layer. Then chill the shell for 1 hour at least.

While the crust is chilling make the topping. Toss all the ingredients except the butter into the food processor to mix. Pinch the butter and add unequal pieces to the mixture. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Pierce the crust with a fork to keep it from bubbling. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Turn the oven down to 375 degrees and let the crust cool.

To make the filling, toss the sliced apricots with the cornstarch and sugar. When the crust is cool to the touch add the apricot filling and top with the marzipan evenly across the top of the tart. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.

Note: The crust needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (and up to overnight) so plan accordingly. I used a 9-inch tart pan with a removable base for this recipe

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