Apricot Tart

Every summer the apricot tree that my Dad, Walter planted in the backyard produces at bumper crop of this wonderful tasting stone fruit.  This year the little apricots were not so little.  They were quite huge and so plenty.  So the proverbial apricot jam has been made and shared with the neighborhood and work.  I am trading apricot for strawberry with my nephew, John, if he remembers.  This year I made a summer peasant apricot tart.  Home made crust too.  Quite easy crust with the Cuisinart.

So here goes:

Short Crust Pastry
1  1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbls granulated white sugar
1/2cups unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into small/medium pieces
1/8 cup to 1/4 cup ice water

Apricot filling:
1 1/2 pound apricots...  8 to 14 apricots.... cut in half a pitted
1/3 to 1/2 cups white sugar
1/8 tsp salt

Crust:  In a food processor, pace the four, salt ad sugar and process until combined.  Add the butter and process until the mixture looks like corn meal.  Add the water slowly in a steady stream through the feeding tube of the processor until the pastry just holds together.  (To make sure the water is chilled I put a couple of ice cubes in the water).

Turn pastry out onto floured surface.  Roll out into a 12 inch circle.  Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet and place the dough on parchment paper.  Set aside.

In a large bowl mix together apricots, sugar and salt.  Mix until apricot juice starts to cling to fruit.  Sugar will become a little pasty.  That's perfect.  Pour apricots and juice onto the middle of the dough
and place them flat side down leaving about a 2 inch border.  Gently fold the edges of the pastry up and over the apricots, pleating when needed.  Make sure to seal any cracks in the pastry.

Bake the tart in a preheated 405 degree oven for 35-45 minutes or until pastry in golden brown.  remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Very tasty...and so easy-peasy!