I had to make this- if not to eat, just to stare at and know it had been in my kitchen. The crust is phenomenal. Love it. The pistachio's are the perfect touch. There's only one small catch that I forgot... I don't like apricots. The after taste bothers me. When I make this again, I will use a different fruit. Maybe peaches paired with macadamia nuts. Don't let my dislike for apricots deter you though. If you like apricots, carpe diem.The comment my brother gave- who happens to like apricots- is there's no filling/custard. When he thinks of a tart, he imagines the standard lemon filling with fruits on top. I actually enjoy the lack of custard. It's summery, fresh, and light! You really get to enjoy the fruit.
Makes a 10" tart or 8 individual tarts. I don't have 8 little tart tins so I made one individual tiny tart and then a big 8" large tart.
1 cup unsalted butter or non-hydrogenated shortening
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups superfine brown rice flour
3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
pinch of salt
chopped pistachios
sugar for topping
10-12 apricots
lemon thyme leaves, optional
honey, optional
Cream the butter and powdered sugar together. Add the zest and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Note how Bob's Red Mill was kind enough to write "also known as Tapioca Starch" for peons like myself- phew!
Press the dough into tart molds. Use the back of a knife or spoon to help smooth it out if you need to. Refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes.
Peel and cut the apricots into thin wedges. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios on the bottom of the tarts. I used a food processor to make it easier. Arrange the apricot slices inside tightly packed as they will shrink in the oven. Sprinkle more pistachios on top and some sugar.
Bake at 375F for about 30 minutes until golden. Drizzle honey and add some lemon thyme leaves on top, if desired. Give it a few minutes to cool. You can eat this warm or cold.
