This is a nice and versatile pastry recipe. You can use peaches, apples or pears instead of the apricots. Do not omit the Fruit Fresh though, the fruit will loose its nice color and brown without it. Another thing, it is hard to resist the hot pastry, but if you want to serve this to guests or to cut into larger squares, wait until the pastry is at room temperature before slicing into it.
APRICOT CUSTARD PASTRY
12 apricots1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups flour
pinch of salt
1/2+1/8 cup margarine, room temperature
1 egg
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 Tbsp Fruit Fresh
2 Tbsp sugar
cooking spray
2/3 cup whipping cream
3 eggs
2 pkg. vanilla sugar
1/2+1/8 cup sugar
• In a large bowl combine 1/3 cup sugar, the flour and the salt.
• Add the margarine and with clean hands rub into the flour mixture.
• Add the egg and 1 Tbsp vanilla.
• Combine ingredients and form into a ball.
• Wrap the dough and place in the fridge to chill for 1 hour.
• Wash the apricots, remove the stones and cut each half into 4 or more pieces.
• Place the apricots in the bowl and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp fruit fresh.
• Sprinkle 2 Tbsp sugar on the top and toss.
• Spray a rectangular baking pan with cooking spray.
• Line the pan with the chilled dough, bringing the dough up the sides a little.
• Poke dough with a fork and place in a preheated 400F oven.
• Bake until the pastry has a bit of color. [Just about the time the kitchen fills with the aroma of your pastry.]
• Take out the pastry [keep the oven going] and make the custard.
• To a medium bowl add the whipping cream, eggs, vanilla sugars and 1/2+1/8 cup sugar.
• Whisk together until well combined.
• Scatter the apricots over the hot pastry.
• Pour the custard on the top and put pan back in the oven.
• Lower the oven temperature to 350F and bake for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes remove pan from the oven.
• Let pastry cool slightly to allow the custard to settle.
