A taste of summer in every bite
We like to say that summer in Mudgee is the season of fruit. And in particular – stonefruit. Our orchard branches are heavy with ripe fruit this time of year, and with that, comes delicious treats like this apricot crostata from our dear friend Lesley Russell. Sweet, juicy apricots encased in a buttery, flaky crust, each bite capturing the taste of summer. This is a recipe we hold very dear to our hearts, we hope you enjoy.
Ingredients
Pastry:
- 1½ cups plain flour
- 2 tablespoons caster sugar
- 125 g chilled butter
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 65 ml cold water
Filling:
- 1 kg apricot, washed and cut into halves or quarters, depending on their size.
- 3 tablespoons ground hazelnuts or almonds
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- butter
- caster sugar
Notes from Kim
Any stone fruit can be substituted for the apricot. In fact, this tart can be made with almost any fruit. Kim always uses seasonal fruit, from summer berries to winter’s apples and quince.
Method
- To make the pastry, place flour, sugar, butter and lemon zest into the bowl of the food processor and process until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
- Add water and pulse a few times until the mixture comes together and forms a dough. You may need to add a little more water to bring the dough together
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead lightly until smooth. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until firm.
- For the filling, combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- When the pastry is cold, roll out the dough until you have a pastry circle of about 28cm in diameter. Place the pasty onto a baking tray that has been lined with baking paper.
- Scatter the filling mix over the pastry leaving a border of about 5 cm around the edges.
- Gently lift the edge of the pastry up and over the fruit and filling, pleating it where necessary. Place the baking tray in the fridge and leave to chill for 30 minutes. This allows time for the pastry time to rest and firm up again so that it will be crisp when it is baked.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Remove the baking tray and crostata from the fridge. In a small bowl, beat an egg and use it to lightly brush the outside of the pastry to glaze. Dot the top of the fruit with small pieces of butter and scatter a little caster sugar over the top of the pastry.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the pastry is well browned and the fruit softened and juicy.
- Serve the crostata warm with thick cream, ice cream or both.
