Apricot and Pistachio Frangipane Tart

Dreams are magnificent journeys that never cost us anything, but are invaluable in the way they make us thrive, inspire us and push us to aspire for more. In our dreams we are strong, we are powerful, we are beautiful, creative and we are forever young. Our dreams have the power to make us feel like prevailing superheroes, an alluring vamp or just a love struck teenager with an incongruous crush.

I dream myself alive.

Dreams fascinate me. Although I am never sure what might actually trigger me to tumble into a dream, I am capable of closing my eyes and stringing together stories and tales, sometimes of so precise detail, I can almost feel, smell and taste them.

My dad told me to keep a notebook close at hand to record what my vivid imagination churns out. “Maybe there is a book there, somewhere!” he would often remark. From a man who took 3 years off to write and publish a novel, I decided to do as I was told.

If the contents of my dreams will ever produce a book, I do not know, for now they are very entertaining stories for my friends and more importantly for my girlfriends, with whom I spend a lot of time dissecting and analyzing my dreamy dreams and stories. The ideas, these dreams supply me with, inspire me, and to some extent give me the chutzpah needed to take an unconventional route. I tend to over-think every little thing you see.

So it is my dreams that make my ideas come alive …

What are you dreaming of now?

Right now I am dreaming of beautiful azure blue oceans, warm beaches and a lot of good food. On Friday I will be flying off to make these dreams come true. We’re off to Malta for a few weeks, where we’ve rented a brilliant farmhouse on Gozo and plan to discover the sights and sounds of this culturally rich and colorful country.

There might not be much activity around here during this time, but I made this incredible delicious tart for some sweet moments while you browse through the blog.

A buttery flakey crust encases a nutty and elegant pistachio frangipane in which juicy apricots nestle themselves, imparting their sweet summer flavors throughout the tart.

Recipe: Apricot and Pistachio Frangipane Tart
Printable version of recipe here

Prep Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients
For the crust

    * 190g all-purpose flour
    * 70g butter, at room temperature
    * 3 egg yolks
    * pinch of salt
    * 2-4 tablespoons cold water (depending on how dry the dough is)

For the pistachio frangipane

    * 115g butter, at room temperature
    * 95g muscovado sugar
    * 100g pistachios, ground
    * 2 eggs
    * 60 ml heavy cream

    * 6-8 apricots, sliced
    * a few mint leaves

Method

   1. Prepare the crust: Using an electric mixer, whip the butter on medium speed until it is light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk, one at a time and making sure to incorporate each one well before adding the next one.

   2. Add the salt and the flour and mix quickly. If the dough feels dry then add the water, a tablespoon at a time until it comes together.

   3. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and bring it together into a smooth ball. Flatten the ball into a disk, wrap in some plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

   4. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

   5. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out on a lightly floured surface to fit your preferred tart form. Lightly butter the tart form and transfer the dough into the form, patching up any tears in the dough with your fingertips. Line the dough with some baking paper, fill with dry beans or pie weights and bake for approx. 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven, leaving the oven at 180 degrees C.

   6. To make the pistachio frangipane Whisk eggs, butter, sugar and ground pistachios in a large bowl until smooth.

   7. Pour in the cream and with a silicon or rubber spatula gently stir it into the mixture without emulsifying the liquid. Refrigerate the frangipane mixture for 30 minutes.

   8. Neatly arrange the apricot slices on the tart crust and pour the frangipane mixture over them. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

   9. Scatter a few mint leaves on the top and serve with Chantilly cream.

Verdict

My affinity for tarts, stone fruit and nuts reaches its peak in this recipe. Apricots baked in a nutty, creamy frangipane and the crunch of a crumbly pastry can’t be beaten. Enough to send me into a whirlwind of dreams …

… a beach, a golden sun setting in the horizon, a picnic basket, a blanket.

… an old oak tree, a hammock, rays of afternoon sunlight, echoes of giggles.

… a concert, stolen glances, two strangers, butterflies dancing in tummies.

How do you dream?

I hope you all have a great summer and I’ll see you all in August. Maybe I’ll log on here to share a few impressions of magnificent Malta, but maybe I’ll be just taking some well deserved time out.

Thanks to my gorgeous friend Nanette of Gourmet Worrier for all her help in planning this trip with me. Nan, I’ll be eating, living and dreaming this for you babes – wish you could have joined me.