Most of us cook from a rotating menu of a dozen or so meals. Dish magazine’s food editor and easy everyday meal expert Claire Aldous offers some fresh inspiration. Add flowers and a glass of wine to transform the everyday into something extraordinary.
2 sheets pre-rolled butter puff pastry
1 egg yolk
12-14 apricots, tinned or fresh
2 tbsp chopped roasted hazelnuts, to garnish
icing sugar for dusting
Filling
80g butter
1⁄3 cup caster sugar
1 egg
80g hazelnuts
1 tbsp plain flour
1⁄4 tsp sea salt
1⁄2 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp apricot jam
Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Place the pastry on a flat baking sheet. Egg wash one edge and join two sheets of pastry together to make one large sheet. Egg wash a 1cm border around the pastry and fold over, gently pressing the edges with a fork to seal. Chill until firm.
Filling: Put the butter, caster sugar and egg in a medium-sized bowl and beat to combine. Stir in the hazelnuts, flour, salt and ginger. Cover and chill if not using immediately.
Spread the filling evenly over the base of the chilled pastry. Halve the apricots and arrange on top, then dust with icing sugar. Egg wash the pastry border. Bake for 20-25 minutes until pastry is crisp and golden, turning the tray for even browning. Remove from the oven and leave for 10 minutes before sliding onto a flat plate or board.
To serve, sprinkle with hazelnuts and dust with icing sugar. Gently heat the apricot jam and lightly brush over the tart for a glossy sheen.
Serves 8-10
