Bright and sunny, fragrantly rich June is a month full of promise. It is everywhere I turn around. In the luscious greenness of the trees, in the variety of flower blossoms, in the fragrance of the first summer fruits. I cannot resist the flowers on the market. How can one choose between the roses blushing in fifty shares of pink, the tender white peonies and the happy blue-purple larkspurs? Of course, I cannot choose and I buy them all. I move only a few meters away and I notice the first apricots for the season. Fragile and sun ripened, they smile at me promising the hidden sweet honey nectar of the Spanish summer. Walking home I take a bite, and while savouring all fragrance I am already dreaming of baking an almond apricot tart. It is a wonderful combination letting the apricots shine in the their full splendour.
Ingredients
- 6 large fresh apricots, halved, pitted and then halved again
- 35g honey
- Pinch of salt
- 3 large eggs – slightly beaten
- 140g ground almond meal
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 6 tablespoons melted butter.
- 50g almond flakes.
Method
1. Preheat he oven to 175C degrees. Grease a springform pan with butter and then dust with powdered sugar, tapping out the excess.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine the melted butter, powdered sugar, ground almonds, eggs, salt and honey. Mix very well with a whisk until lumps disappear and pour into prepared pan.
3. Arrange the apricots in concentric circles on top of the batter. You want the edges of the apricots to stick out of the batter a bit. Sprinkle almond flakes.
4. Bake for 40 – 50 minutes or until browned and set. Rotate the dish twice while baking for even browning.
5. Let cool and remove from springform pan. Dust with additional powdered sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.
