Apricot And Pistachio Tarte Tatin Recipe

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C / 325 degrees F / gas 3.
In a pan, simmer half the sugar with a couple of Tbsp.
of water till a light golden brown caramel has formed.
Meanwhile, halve the apricots and remove the stones.
Do not throw the stones away - I will explain why later.
Sprinkle the apricots with the remaining sugar, mix and leave to sit for ten min.
The sugar will draw out the lovely juicy sweetness from the apricots.
Check the caramel sauce.
If it's ready, remove from the heat.
Stir in the butter and pour the sauce into a non-stick tart tin.
Whack the apricots on top and spread them out to cover the base of the tin.
Now take about half of your apricot stones and bash them open.
Inside you will find a nutty kernel that tastes just like Amaretto - great for adding flavour.
Finely slice the kernels and sprinkle them over the apricots with half the thyme.
Roll out the pastry till it's just over 1/2cm thick and 2cm larger than your tart tin.
Cover the apricots with the pastry, pushing it right into the sides of the tin.
Place the tart in the oven for around 35 min.
When the tart is cooked, put a large plate on top of the tin and turn the tart upside down onto it.
Sprinkle with the rest of the thyme and the pistachio nuts just before serving.
Fantastic served with ice-cream or possibly whipped cream.
Yield: Makes a 9-inch tart.