Crostata di marmellata (apricot jam tart) recipe

Step 1

For the jam, halve the apricots and discard the pits. Place the apricots halves in a heavy-based saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally so the fruit doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. As the pan heats, the apricots will release their juices and the fruit will begin to simmer. Let the apricots simmer for approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the fruit is completely soft. Pass the mixture through a food mill or a fine-mesh sieve placed over a bowl to remove the skins for a smooth fruit puree.

Step 2

Place the puree back in the saucepan over low heat and add the sugar. Heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Turn the heat up to medium and let it bubble until the jam reaches the consistency desired. If you let this go quite a while, you will get harder-set jam, but even just a short 10 minutes will give you a nice soft-set jam, which is just right for this tart.

Step 3

For the pastry, chop the cold butter into small pieces. If using a food processor, pulse the butter, flour and sugar until you have a crumbly, sandy texture and there are no more visible pieces of butter. If mixing by hand, rub the butter into the flour and sugar until you achieve the desired result. Mix in the beaten egg and yolk along with the lemon zest until the pastry comes together into a smooth, elastic ball. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Step 4

Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a 23cm pie dish.

Step 5

Divide the dough into 2 pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Roll this larger piece out to about 3mm and press into the pie dish. Roll out the rest of the pastry and, with a pastry cutter or sharp knife, cut long strips about 2cm wide. Fill the pie base with the jam and criss cross lattice strips over the top. If you like, use the leftover egg white to brush over the top of the pastry for some shine. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown.