Wine Dinner Extra: Jeraboam Night: Dried Apricot Tart

Dried Apricot, Peach, and Pecan Tart

Tart Crust

1 1/8  cups all –purpose flour

1 ½ tsp sugar

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/8 tsp kosher salt

¼ cup cold water

Filling

1 6-ounce package dried apricots, chopped

1 6-ounce package dried peaches, chopped

1 cup port

1 cup cold water plus more as needed for filling

½ cup brown sugar

2 Tbs cornstarch

2 tsp fresh orange juice

1 cup chopped toasted pecans

Garnish:  Crème fraîche or whipped cream, mint sprigs

Preheat oven to 400F

Crust:

In a food processor fitted with pastry blade, combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon.  Blend in the butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, about the size of small peas.  Mix the salt and water and add them to the flour mixture.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Blend only until the dough comes together and is moist and smooth.

On a lightly floured board or pastry cloth, flatten dough into a circle.  Roll out dough with a rolling pin to make an 11-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick.  Gently fold dough into quarters and then transfer to a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom, placing point at center.  Carefully unfold, easing dough from center out to rim, pressing dough gently into sides of tart pan.  Place in refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill. 

Remove tart crust from refrigerator.  Using a fork, gently prick dough in several places along bottom and sides of pan to prevent shrinkage.  Completely line bottom and sides of dough-lined pan with foil.  Fill to top with weights (dried beans work quite well).  Gently press weights into bottom and sides of pan to ensure that dough is weighted down. 

Place pan on baking sheet on middle rack of oven.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until bottom and sides of dough are light golden.  Place on wire rack and carefully remove foil and weights.  Allow to cool completely at room temperature.

Filling:

In a large pot, combine apricots, peaches, port, and water.  Bring to a simmer and cook until the dried fruit has softened, about 8-10 minutes.  Strain fruit.  Reserve cooking liquid and fruit.  Add enough cold water to cooking liquid to make 1 cup. 

In a mixing bowl, mix ¼ cup cooking liquid with brown sugar and cornstarch and whisk to dissolve cornstarch.  Pour remaining ¾ cup cooking liquid back into the pot along with cornstarch mixture.  Add orange juice. 

Over medium heat, bring mixture to a boil, stirring often.  Reduce heat and simmer to thicken liquid, stirring occasionally.  Add reserved fruit and pecans, remove from heat and cool.  When thoroughly cooled, pour mixture into pre-baked crust. 

Carefully remove tart from pan by pressing gently upward on the bottom of the pan.  Place on serving plate.  Serve chilled or at room temperature with crème fraîche or whipped cream, and garnish with mint sprigs.

Serves 8