Easy Creamy Apricot Jam Tart with Cookie Crust

Welcome to The Storied Recipe Podcast, a podcast about food, culture, and love. 

This recipe for Apricot Jam Tart with Cookie Crust came from my podcast guest, Britney. Make sure you listen to her episode You Never Know Until You Try while you make her Apricot Jam Tart!   

As Britney explains, she was inspired by a key lime pie and decided to replace the lime flavor with sweet apricot preserves, replacing the graham cracker crust with a crushed caramel cookie crust, made with Pepperidge Farm Bordeaux cookies. The caramel flavor is the perfect complement to the fruity preserves.

One word - this is a very sweet dessert! Key Lime Pie, Britney's inspiration, has a sharp, tangy zest to cut the sweet. Obviously, an apricot preserve recipe doesn't share that sharpness. So, if you like very sweet desserts, this may not be for you. On the other hand... in the formative words of Britney's Nanny - "You never know until you try!" I think you'll love it!

P.S. Looking for more pie recipes? Check out this Nesselrode Pie recipe or this Fresh Pear Pie Filling in Pistachio Pie Crust recipe!

Britney's Memories Associated With Apricot Tart

This recipe reminds me of my grandmother whom I call "Nanny". When I was younger, I remember her making soup in the kitchen and smelling garlic for the first time. I asked if I could have some and she said sure and handed me a piece of raw garlic. I took one taste and spit it out and looked at her puzzled - she'd say "you never know until you try". I was convinced that garlic was disgusting. She told me, "watch what happens when you cook it". When the soup was finished, I remember not wanting it because garlic was in it and she insisted I eat the soup. I took a spoonful and I loved it! She said "see what happens when you try?" When I saw the apricots in the store, I realized that I'd never eaten a fresh apricot and it immediately took me back to the adage [Nanny] preaches to me constantly. 

-Britney

Ingredients & Substitutions

Crust

• Pepperidge Farm Bordeaux Cookies
• Butter - I usually use unsalted butter while baking; this recipe calls for melted butter instead of cold butter typically used in tarts
• Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Egg - best if you use room temperature eggs instead of cold eggs so it doesn't solidify the butter when mixed in
• Salt

Filling

• Egg yolks
• Sweetened condensed milk
• Apricot preserves - try to get high-quality preserves from your local grocery store
• Fresh Apricots - optional, for the swirl design.
• Optional: can also add other fresh fruits or other stone fruits on top of your tart to decorate

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350ºF / 176.6ºC.
• Blend Bordeaux cookies in a food processor until finely crumbed. Add butter, sugar, salt, and cinnamon; blend. Beat an egg in a small bowl, then add to the crumbs and blend until mixture resembles wet sand.
• Spray a springform pan with oil, press crust mixture into the bottom, and bake for 12 minutes until golden brown. Let cool.
• While crust bakes, beat 3 egg yolks in a bowl with a hand mixer until frothy. Gradually add in sweetened condensed milk, then mix in apricot preserves on low speed.
• Once crust is cool, spray sides of the pan with oil and pour in the apricot/condensed milk mixture. 
• Puree 1 fresh apricot, add to the top, and swirl with a toothpick.
• Bake for 15-18 minutes until the filling sets. 
• Allow pie to cool then freeze for 20 minutes. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

French vs Italian Apricot Tarts

Though this recipe was created by Britney, there are actually many different variations of it around the world. While doing some research on Apricot Tarts, I found that they were largely associated with French or Italian Baking (though many countries have their own tart recipe or variation).

French Apricot Tart (Tarte aux Abricots)

• Base: delicate shortcrust pastry (pâte sucrée or pâte brisée)
• Filling: usually includes almond cream or pastry cream 
• Presentation: Sophisticated arrangement of the brightly colored fresh stone fruit on top of the pastry

Italian Apricot Jam Tart (Crostata alla Marmellata)

• Base:  Pasta frolla (or pasta flora) usually flavored with lemon zest or vanilla
• Filling: A layer of jam is used rather than fresh fruit (hence why it is called Italian Jam Tart)
• Presentation: A more rustic, lattice pattern

Homemade Apricot Jam

If you find yourself with time or a plethora of apricots, you can always make your own homemade jam! As with most jam recipes, the ingredients are fairly simple: fresh apricots, sugar, and lemon juice. Check out this recipe from It's Not Complicated and follow her very simple steps to create a delicious jam!

Equipment

• Tart pan OR springform pan with a removable base (9 inch)
• Hand mixer OR stand mixer
• Food processor
• Wire rack
• Large bowl AND a small bowl

Storage

You can store your tart in an airtight container for 1-3 days. Don't wait too long to consume or the bottom of the tart will become soggy.

source: Fridge

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