-
If you are using fresh
apricots, halve and stone them, then put them in a small
saucepan, add the sugar and enough water to just cover the
fruit and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for
about 10 minutes till the fruit is soft and tender. The
apricots must be so soft you could crush them between your
fingers. Drain them.
-
If you are using tinned
apricots, drain them in a sieve over a bowl.
-
Set the oven at 200C/gas mark
7. Place a baking sheet in the oven to get hot.
-
Roll out the pastry to a
rectangle 30cm x 23cm. (That is pretty much the size of a
roll of ready-made puff pastry.) Using a 12cm-diameter
template (a saucer or small plate or large cookie cutter),
cut four rounds of pastry. Place each on a lightly floured
baking sheet (lined with baking parchment if you wish).
Score a wide rim around the outside of each one about 1cm
in from the edge – I use a 10cm cutter for this – taking
care not to cut right through the pastry.
-
Place the apricots on the
pastry, four or five halves to each tart, steering clear
of the rim. Slide the baking sheet on top of the hot
baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, till
the pastry is puffed and golden.
-
Warm the apricot jam in a
small saucepan. Remove the tarts from the oven and brush
the jam over them, covering both fruit and pastry. Return
to the oven for 3-4 minutes till the edges have browned
and the glaze is just starting to caramelise. Let the
tarts settle for 10 minutes before eating.
-
Note:
Commercial puff pastry is pretty good, especially if it is
made with butter. Apricots survive the canning process
better than most fruits – they can often be better than
the fresh fruits you so carefully poach in sugar syrup.
DAILY
DINNERS 
