Apricot and Marzipan Tart Tatin

This recipe is wonderful with fresh apricots but canned ( in juice or syrup) work well and this dessert can be made using store cupboard ingredients.

I pack of all butter puff pastry, I use ready rolled.

Similar quantity of marzipan ( frozen from Christmas in my case )

24-26 apricots – should have been a kilo but I felt the need to quality control a few ( blush )

3 tablespoons of sugar

2 tablespoons of butter.

To serve:

Clotted cream, almond slivers and mini mint leaves to decorate.

Wash and cut the apricots in half, discard the stones. Place them cut side facing upward in a pan that can be used on the hob as well as the oven.

Sprinkle the apricots with half the sugar and leave to macerate for 10 minutes.

Place over a gentle heat with the butter and remaining sugar to soften the apricots, and then turn up the heat to form a caramel. If I’m making a batch I melt the butter and sugar in a pan and pour this over the apricots to hasten the process.

Remove the apricots from the heat when they are still a little al dente, leave to cool.  This can be done the day before, if time is short.

Pre heat your oven to about 220º – a medium hot oven

Using a plate the same size as your pan as a guide, cut a circle of marzipan and another of puff pastry and place the marzipan on to the upturned sticky apricots and then place the pastry over the marzipan and carefully tuck the pastry into the sides of the pan. As a precaution put the pan onto a baking sheet to catch any toffee bubble spatters. Brush the pastry with beaten egg or milk before placing in the oven for about 20 minutes. Try to resist opening the oven door for the first 10 minutes unless you smell burning! Cooking is a matter for the senses and common sence is vital with my recipes.

If you can see crispy golden pastry and sweet bubbling molten toffee and it smells utterly divine – its cooked!

Remove from the oven and leave to cool before turning it on to a shallow dish serving plate. There will likely be a lot of gorgeous sticky juices so please be careful  (place the serving plate over the pan and in one smooth swift movement turn and place the plate onto the work top and then remove the cooking pan). Ta Dah!

Have patience and don’t burn yourself please!

Serve with a quenelle of clotted cream  sprinkled with the almonds and tiny mint leaves if you can source them.

Enjoy!  x