Apricot, Lemon and Pistachio Shortbread Tart

To make the most of stone-fruit season, I made a grilled peach tart with fresh ginger glaze, but it really wasn’t good enough to make again. I decided to make an apricot, lemon and pistachio shortbread tart soon after, though, because I had bookmarked the recipe a year ago and didn’t want to wait another year to make it. That one, my friends, was worth it! It’s from Cannelle et Vanille, so it happens to be gluten-free; you can make it vegan by using maple syrup instead of the honey, and you could omit the pistachios if you really have to (they do give a nice crunch, and the color contrast is nice). My only disappointment with this recipe is that the apricots darken when they are baked, so I should have taken the glamour shots before I put the tart in the oven… Oh well! I’m still posting a bunch of pictures, because I’m having trouble deciding which ones are the best. I used lemon thyme to decorate, but that’s entirely optional. The shortbread was definitely not too dry, and the whole dessert was delicious, walking the line between decadent and healthy.

While the original recipe calls for 2 sticks of butter OR 2 sticks of non-hydrogenated shortening, I went with 1 stick of butter and 1 stick of vegan margarine. I think that 2 sticks of butter would be too much for my system, but 2 sticks of shortening would lack flavor and 2 sticks of margarine might give a different consistency to the shortbread crust. I suggest using 1 stick of vegan margarine and, depending on your lactose sensitivity, either 1 stick of butter or 1 stick of non-hydrogenated shortening.

225 g (2 sticks) vegan margarine and butter or non-hydrogenated shortening (see above)
110 g powdered sugar, sifted
zest of 1 lemon
½ tsp. vanilla
170 g superfine brown rice flour
110 g cornstarch
30 g tapioca starch
pinch of salt
chopped pistachios
sugar, for topping
10-12 apricots
lemon thyme leaves, optional
honey or maple syrup, optional (but recommended)

Cream the butter and powdered sugar together. Add the zest and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Press the dough into a 10-inch tart mold. Refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 °F.

Cut the apricots into thin wedges. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios on the bottom of the tart. Arrange the apricot slices inside tightly packed, as they will shrink in the oven. Sprinkle more pistachios on top and some sugar.

Bake for about 30 minutes until golden. Drizzle honey and add some lemon thyme leaves on top, if desired.