Recipe: Apricot-Hazelnut Tart

Makes one (9-inch) tart or 8 servings Nonstick cooking spray

Hazelnut butter cookie dough:

1 1/3 cups plus 2 teaspoons unsifted all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons unsifted bleached cake flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

¼ pound (8 tablespoons or 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 egg yolks

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup hazelnut flour (see Kitchen Notes*)

2 teaspoons coarse white decorating sugar (see Kitchen Notes**)

Filling:

6 ripe apricots

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2/3 cup apricot jam

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Sweetened whipped cream for serving

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray the bottom and sides of a fluted 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom. Wipe out excess and set aside.

2. Prepare hazelnut dough: Sift together all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg onto a sheet of wax paper and set aside.

3. Cream butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer set at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add sugar and beat 2 minutes. Blend in egg yolks and vanilla. Scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula, then blend in hazelnut flour.

4. On low speed, add dry ingredients in two additions, beating just until the dough starts to come together. Remove dough from bowl and knead lightly on a work surface 1 minute. The dough should be buttery and firm but workable.

5. Divide dough into two portions, one a little larger than the other. Wrap the smaller portion in plastic wrap and place in freezer. Roll the larger portion between two sheets of plastic wrap to a circle about 10 ½ inches in diameter. Place on a cookie sheet and freeze 5 to 10 minutes while working with the second half of dough. Roll out between sheets of plastic wrap to a roughly 9-inch circle. Place in freezer 5 to 10 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and lightly press the larger sheet of dough onto the bottom and about halfway up the sides of the prepared pan.

6. Prepare filling: Wash and dry apricots; cut in half and remove pits. Toss with lemon juice. Mix apricot jam and vanilla extract and spread into the bottom of the dough-lined pan. Arrange the apricots on top. Remove remaining dough sheet from freezer and cut into shapes with a cookie cutter of your choice. (Geometric or flower shapes are nice.) Drape over top of tart and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

7. To bake tart, set on a baking sheet and place on bottom rack of preheated oven; bake 20 minutes. Transfer to center rack and continue baking 20 minutes or until the preserves are bubbling, the apricots are tender and the dough is golden brown. The dough should have risen to the top of the pan. Test the center with a toothpick, which should come out clean.

8. Remove from oven and set tart pan on a cooling rack; cool completely. Carefully release tart from outer ring, leaving it on the base. Cover with aluminum foil and let stand at least 4 hours or overnight.

9. To serve, use a serrated knife to cut tart into wedges. Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

Times Kitchen Notes:

* To make the hazelnut flour, process ½ cup skinned hazelnuts in a food processor, using the pulse button, until powdery. Measure 1/3 cup for the tart dough.

** India Tree produces a line of sparkling sugars that are sold in many supermarkets.

Adapted from "Baking by Flavor" by Lisa Yockelson