INGREDIENTS:
- ⅓ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 2 tbsp finely grated lemon rind
- 1 cup almond meal
- 4 nectarines
- 1 tbsp caster sugar, extra
- 2 tbsp apricot jam, warmed
- ice-cream or cream for serving
- Vanilla bean pastry
- 1 ¾ cups plain flour
- ⅓ cup icing sugar mixture
- 1 cup cold butter, chopped
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 small egg, chilled, and lightly beaten
DIRECTIONS:
Place the flour, icing sugar, butter and vanilla into a food processor. Process in short bursts until the mixture has a fine crumb consistency. Add the egg and process again in short bursts until the mixture just starts to come together. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and gather the pastry. Press into a flat disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll out the pastry on a sheet of baking paper to about ⅛” thick. Line a 9” loose base flan tin with the pastry, gently easing it into the corners; trim excess pastry. Freeze for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place a sheet of foil over the base and side of the pastry. Fill with baking weights (or dry beans or rice). Place the tin on an oven tray. Bake on the lowest shelf in the oven for 15 minutes or until just starting to turn golden. Remove the foil and weights and bake for a further 15 minutes or until lightly browned and the base of the pastry is cooked through. Let cool.
Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, flour and lemon rind; beat until just combined. Add the almond meal, beat until smooth.
Halve the nectarines, remove the seeds and slice very thinly.
Spread the almond mixture over the base of the cooled pastry and arrange the nectarines decoratively on top. Sprinkle evenly with the extra caster sugar and bake for
1 hour or until the edges of the nectarines are browning and the filling is set.
Brush the surface of the tart with the warmed apricot jam and serve with double cream or vanilla ice-cream.
