This recipe for an apricot and almond tart is a bit long-winded for a 20-minute demo but works perfectly in print.

I like to serve the tart either hot, cooked to order at the restaurant, or at room temperature.

Serve with a big dollop of clotted cream or some really good vanilla ice cream and eat on the day it is made.

Don’t refrigerate the tart, as it loses something in the process of chilling and re-warming.

You could substitute the apricots for chunks of ripe peach or even poached pear in the autumn.

This was the final course on our anniversary menu, served with an apricot gel and clotted cream ice cream.

APRICOT AND ALMOND TART

SWEET PASTRY (for three 26cm tart shells)

  • 225g unsalted butter
  • 170g caster sugar
  • 4 Blackacre egg yolks
  • 4tbs cold water
  • 110g corn flour
  • 335g soft plain flour
  • 5g Maldon salt, finely ground

Any excess pastry can be well wrapped and frozen for later use.

FRANGIPANE (for 1 tart, 8 portions)

  • 150g unsalted butter
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 150g whole Blackacre egg
  • 150g ground almonds
  • 5g salt
  • 50g self raising flour
  • Almond extract
  • 1 egg yolk mixed with same quantity of cold water
  • 8 fresh apricots, halved and stoned
  • 50g apricot jam

PASTRY/TART: Cream the butter and caster sugar together. Beat until the mixture starts to go pale.

Combine the egg yolks and the water and beat gradually into the butter mix. Mix the flours and the salt and sift onto the butter mix.

Use a rubber spatula to fold the flour in. you are aiming for dough that is homogeneous but has been worked as little as possible.

Turn the dough on to a floured surface and bring together into a cylinder.

Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 min.

FRANGIPANE: Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer, gradually add the egg interspersed with the flour, then add the ground almonds and salt. Flavour with a few drops of good-quality bitter almond extract.

Continue to mix until all the almonds are evenly incorporated.

TO ASSEMBLE: Roll out a third of the pastry to line a 26cm flan ring, chill for 30 min, then blind bake at 160°C until just set. Remove the baking beans and cook until light golden brown.

Egg wash with two coats of yolk and water wash, applying one coat and baking for one minute before applying the second and baking for a final minute.

Spread the tart case with a layer of apricot jam and then pipe in the frangipane.

Push the 16 apricot halves in at even intervals 1cm in from the edge of the pastry case (you may need to do two circles depending on the size of the apricots).

Bake at 160°C for 15-20 min until golden and firm.

Brush the tart with a little melted apricot jam to glaze.

Allow to cool but do not refrigerate.