Little apricot and earl grey tarts

Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan-forced) and place 10 loose-bottomed tart (flan) tins with a base measurement of 6cm, 2cm deep, on a baking tray.

Place the pistachio kernels and the Earl Grey tea in a small blender or food processor and grind until fine. Set aside.

Prepare the tart shells by cutting your rested pastry log into 10 equal rounds. Working with one piece at a time, scrunch each round in your hand once or twice to make the pastry malleable, then roll into a ball. Place on a lightly floured work surface and, using a rolling pin, roll each ball out to a 10-12cm round (about 3mm thick). Ease the rolled pastry into the tins, pressing the pastry snugly into the base and up the sides of each tin. If the pastry has warmed up a lot, refrigerate the tart shells for 30 minutes before baking.

Use a small, sharp knife to trim off any excess pastry, then place a square of baking paper or foil into each pastry shell. Fill with baking beads and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until deeply golden all over. Remove from the oven and allow the tart shells to cool with the baking beads in them. (This step can be done the day before you want to serve the tarts; just store the cooled, cooked tart shells in an airtight container until ready to bake.)

While the tart shells are cooling, make the pistachio frangipane by placing the softened butter, sugar, vanilla, egg and pistachio tea mixture in a mixing bowl and beating until light (you can do this by hand with a wooden spoon, just make sure the butter is really soft before you begin). Add the flour and salt and stir gently to combine. Set aside.

When the tart shells are cool, remove the baking beads and baking paper. Spoon a tablespoon of frangipane into each shell, smoothing gently with the back of a spoon. Nestle an apricot half, cut side up, into each tart. Lower the oven temperature to 160°C (fan-forced) and return the tarts to the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the frangipane is golden and cooked through, and the apricots start to bubble.

Heat the apricot jam with 1 teaspoon of water, until bubbling (I do this in a small bowl in the microwave). Brush the cooked tarts with hot jam and sprinkle with the extra chopped pistachios. Allow the tarts to cool in their tins before carefully turning them out and serving – with a dollop of thick (double) cream if you like!

Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan-forced). Wash the apricots and cut them in half, discarding the pits. Cut each half in half again and place in a large, deep baking tray. Add the sugar, lemon juice, vanilla bean and seeds (or paste), along with 60ml of water and mix well.

Spread the apricot pieces out into an even layer and place the tray in the preheated oven to cook for 25 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling around the edges. Carefully take the tray out of the oven and gently mash the apricots with a fork or potato masher.

Return the tray to the oven and cook for a further 15 minutes, before carefully stirring and mashing the mixture again. Return the jam to the oven for a final 10-15 minutes, or until the jam is thick, fragrant and bubbling. Watch the jam carefully during the final two stints in the oven, as it tends to bubble over if it gets too hot. Open the oven door and give the jam a little stir if it’s looking like it might bubble over, or take the tray out of the oven a few minutes early if it looks like it is ready.

When the jam is cooked, carefully remove the tray from the oven and give it a final little mash with a fork. Ladle the jam into sterilised jars and seal while hot. STORE & SHARE: Unopened jam will keep for up to 3 months in a cool place. Once opened, store in the refrigerator and use within a month. This jam also makes a wonderful gift – if you can bear to part with it!

Place the softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until smooth. Add the sugar and vanilla and mix again until well combined. You’re not looking for a light and fluffy texture here, just a uniformly creamy consistency.

Add the egg and continue to beat, now on medium speed until the mixture comes together, scraping down the side of the bowl once or twice. It can take a few minutes for the egg to incorporate, especially if your kitchen is cold, so just take your time here.

Add the flour and salt to the bowl and mix on low speed until the pastry just comes together.

Tip the whole lot out onto a clean work surface and gently bring the pastry and any loose flour together with your hands. Squish and knead ever so slightly until smooth, then divide the pastry in two. Roll each portion into a little fat log. Wrap well and place in the fridge to chill for an hour or two (or up to 2 days), or until the pastry is firm enough to work with. If your pastry has been in the fridge for longer than a couple of hours, leave it out at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before using as directed in the recipe.