Hazelnut, Apricot and Mulberry Tart

Why Hazelnut, apricot and mulberry tart?

I had a beautiful mulberry tree, abundant with fruit, in my back yard, that is until work men cut it down yesterday.

At the time of writing this recipe I still had the mulberry tree and couldn't have been more excited.

As a child I always envied friends who came to school with bundles of mulberries in a bag, picked on the way to school (even more envious of those with pet silk worms that happily fed off the leaves).

Mulberries are the Russian Roulette of the berry world. Deep purple black in colour when they are ripe, mulberries smell floral and sweet and nearly always taste just as sweet as their aroma, with an ever slight tart finish. Every now and then however you taste one, that looks just like the others, and they taste pungently sour.

Mulberries are fantastic to bake with or to use in jam. The sour berries that pop up every now and then are perfect in balancing the sweetness of mulberries when they are cooked.

This tart is so simple to make, tastes fantastic and is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Feel free to substitute the mulberries for blackberries, raspberries or blueberries.

Ingredients
100g dried apricots, soaked in warm water for 1 hour and drained
110g blanched almonds, toasted
125g hazelnuts, toasted
½ cup plain flour
½ cup caster sugar
40g unsalted butter melted, plus extra to brush
2 eggs
100g mulberries

Preheat oven to 180°C and brush a rectangular loose bottom tart tin (10cm x 34cm) with melted butter.

Place the almonds and hazelnuts in a small food processor and grind until fine. Add a third of the drained apricots to the food processor and process until broken up.

Transfer to a bowl and thoroughly fold through the flour. Add the, sugar, butter and eggs. Using a spoon mix together until combined.

Spread into the buttered tart tin and lightly press the apricots into the tart. Scatter over the mulberries, pressing a few into the hazelnut mixture.

Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the tart tin for 10 – 15 minute before removing.
Serves 6-8.

Bon Appetite.