The defining element of this easy tart is what, in my childhood, was called bachelor’s jam. It is a preserve that could be made quickly and in small batches so that even a bachelor who didn’t know how to cook could make it.
It is topped with a very light rice-flour batter infused with apricot puree, which creates a cottony apricot cloud sitting on top of the intensely sweet, tart compote.


Hint: Dried apricots really benefi t from soaking overnight. They will puff almost to their original size.We use rice flour here because it doesn’t have gluten. Because there is no starch in the rice, the filling feels like a mousse rather than spongy in texture, as it would be if made with wheat flour.
Place the apricots in a medium bowl and add enough boiling water to cover. Let soak overnight at room temperature. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a fl oured board, roll the pastry out into a circle that is at least 12 inches in diameter and inch thick.


Place the dough on the baking sheet and refrigerate until slightly fi rm, 20 to 30 minutes. (Refrigerating the dough will make it easier to work with.) Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat, and place an 8-inch round cake pan with a removable bottom on the baking sheet.


Roll the dough up around the rolling pin, place the lower edge of dough over the far side of the cake pan, and unroll the dough into the pan. Carefully lift the edges of the dough to ease it into the corners of the pan. Then gently push it into the corners and up the sides.


Run a sharp paring knife around the top of the pan to trim the excess dough. If there are any holes in the dough, patch them with scraps of dough. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork to keep the dough from puffing.


Line the dough with parchment paper (see Note), and fi ll with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights and return the shell to the oven to bake 5 to 10 minutes more, or until the bottom is light golden. Remove from the oven and place on a rack. Leave the oven on.


Meanwhile, drain the apricots, and discard the liquid. Coarsely chop half of the apricots and place in a small saucepan. Stir in the orange juice and Q cup of the sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring from time to time, for 5 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the liquid. Spread this “express jam” in the bottom of the tart shell.


Place the remaining apricots in a small food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer half of the puree to a large bowl and stir in the cream, yolks, and rice flour. Place the remaining puree in a separate large bowl.


In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, whip the egg whites, gradually adding the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, then beat until stiff, glossy peaks form. Fold the whites into the plain puree, then fold the mixture into the apricot-cream mixture.


Spoon into the tart shell, and use a small offset spatula to smooth the top.Bake, on the baking sheet, for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely on the cooling rack. Before serving, dust the top of the tart with confectioners’sugar.


Note: To make a perfect parchment round, cut a square of parchment paper bigger than the cake pan. Fold two opposite corners together to form a triangle, then fold this triangle in half into a smaller triangle, with two short sides and one long side. Position the triangle so that one of the short sides faces you.


Fold this “wing” in half, maintaining the point, much like making a paper airplane, and continue folding it over until you have a very slender triangle. Place the tip over the center of the pan to be covered and mark the edge of the pan with your thumb. Cut the paper at that point. Unfold the triangle. The paper round will fit the pan exactly.

To Drink: Taittinger - Prélude Brut NV