i am very lucky to be married to a semi professional pastry chef. I am also lucky that he works away, otherwise I would look more like a choux bun. Here is his recipe for a summer tart. He prefers to use apricots but you could easily add nectarines or peaches.

Recipe for Paul’s Summer Tart

To make the pastry….

250g flour

125g butter

Pinch salt

Cut the butter into small cubes and place in fridge to ensure they are cold. Blitz the butter, flour and salt until fine breadcrumbs. Add a small amount of cold water to the mix to bring it together. Tip out the dough and combine by hand but do not knead it. Shape into a disc and cover with cling film and rest in the fridge for at least 30mins. Roll out the dough into a circle approx 2-3mm thick. Place into a 25 cm tart case and prick the bottom with a fork. Refrigerate for at least 15 mins. Place foil over the pastry and fill with rice. Blind bake for 20mins at 180*C. Remove the foil and rice and continue baking at 200*C until golden brown.

To make the filling…

200g almond meal

200g softened butter

100g caster sugar

Tablespoon of vanilla extract

Zest of one lemon

2 eggs

3 or 4 apricots

Combine all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Pour into the cooled pastry shell. Halve the apricots and remove the stone, Arrange the fruit in the tart with the filling. Bake at 180*C for 25 to 30 mins (until golden brown).

Serve warm with cream and or ice cream.