Gluten Free Apricot-Almond Tart
Sweet, tangy and a little bit of refreshing ginger spice to kick off the summer! Layers of mesmerizing flavors come together to set this apricot tart apart from anything you’ve ever had.
Okay, so you know when you get super excited at the grocery store, right at the beginning of summer, when all of the ripe and juicy stone fruit catches your eye after being deprived of it for the last few seasons, and you just buy it all?
Yep, that’s me. Every. Single. Year.
I am that girl that sees a little peach truck on the side of a country road and HAS to stop and buy allllll the peaches! Same with apricots. And plums…
So, what do I do with all that fruit, you ask? I could not possibly eat all of it before it goes bad…so…bring in the pies and the tarts and galettes!
This tart, however, is unlike anything you have probably had before! There is sweetness from the fruit and coconut sugar, tanginess from the jam, creaminess from the almonds and a hidden kick of ginger to balance everything out.
The ginger is the star of the show and what makes this tart so unique and different. It gives the tart a refreshing property that provides a cooling effect when combined with the stone fruit, and in the summer, anything with the words refreshing and cooling is welcome in my house.
Do you have a bunch of ripe peaches? Use them in place of the apricots. Do you have an abundance of ripe plums? Go ahead and use them instead! I found these beautiful black velvet apricots at my local farmer’s market, Get creative!
The whole purpose of this fruit tart it to be able to use up whatever stone fruit you have that has been sitting on the counter for a few days, and are clearly not going to be eaten before they turn.
This gluten free pie crust is my go to recipe lately. It does call for a non-conventional ingredient, sour cream, but I honestly believe that the addition of the sour cream is what gives this crust a more flakey consistency. Also, make sure that all of your ingredients are nice and cold. Try it, and let me know what you think!
Also, all of the components are made in the food processor, so, less dishes to clean! Yay!!!
Gluten Free Apricot-Almond Tart
Ingredients
For the Pie Crust
- 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour I like Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 flour
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp butter cubed, chilled
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- ice water as needed
For the filling
- 4-5 ripe apricots, sliced peaches or plums work too
- 1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup apricot preserves low sugar if you can find it
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 11/2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp melted butter
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar for sprinkling
- additional sliced almonds for sprinkling
Instructions
To make the Pie Crust
- Preheat your oven to 400° F / Butter the bottom of your pie dish generously.
- In the bowl of your food processor add the flour, baking powder and salt and pulse a few times to combine. Alternatively, if making it by hand, use a big bowl to mix the dry ingredients together.
- Add the cubed, chilled butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand. If mixing by hand, use a pastry cutter or two forks to break apart the butter into small little pieces, until your mixture resembles coarse sand. Avoid using your fingers, as this will melt the butter.
- Add the sour cream and pulse (or mix) until the dough comes together and holds it's shape when pressed together.
- Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and knead it gently until it is nice and smooth, adding a teaspoon of ice water at a time, if needed. Avoid adding too much water, you do not want your dough to be sticky.
- Shape the dough into a disk and wrap it in parchment paper or cling wrap and allow it to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- After your dough has rested, flour your work surface and rolling pin and roll out the dough into a large rectangle, about 1/2" thick, sprinkling flour as needed and making sure to turn the dough a few time to prevent it from sticking.
- Fold the dough in half, and then in half again, into a square and roll it out once more, sprinkling with flour as needed to prevent it from sticking, into a circle large enough to cover your baking dish.
- Roll the dough onto your rolling pin and carefully transfer it to your baking dish by unrolling it onto the dish. Fold any overhang inwards, tucking in the edges as you crimp them with your thumb and index finger all the way around.
To make the Pie Filling
- In the same food processor bowl you used for the dough, add in the almonds and 1/2 cup of coconut sugar and pulse a few times until the almonds are finely chopped. Add in the egg and cream and process until a thick paste is formed.
- Spread the almond mixture onto the bottom of your prepared pie crust.
- In the bowl of your food processor, this time add the apricot jam, lemon juice, ginger and cornstarch and pulse to combine. Gently smooth over evenly on top of the almond paste.
- In a decorative manner, neatly lay the apricot slices on top of the filling, brush the edges of the pie crust with the melted butter and sprinkle the top with additional coconut sugar and sliced almonds.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the filling is pretty much set, but still a tiny bit jiggly in the center. Take care to cover the edges of the pie crust with foil if they are browning too much. The center will continue to set as it cools.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving, to allow it to fully set.
