Apricot Tartlets

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE DOUGH

• 1
  Quickly and briefly mix (using a stand mixer with a flat beater) on low speed both flours, baking powder, almond flour, salt, and butter pieces until you get a coarse crumb. Add sugar and egg, and mix very briefly again with the flat beater.
• 2
  Transfer the dough to a work surface and quickly work it with your fingers into a compact dough (do not knead too long or thoroughly, otherwise the gluten will activate too quickly and the dough will be tough – it's okay if there are pieces of butter left in the dough). Form the dough into a disc (flatten with your hands, no need to roll), wrap in foil, and refrigerate for at least an hour.
• 3
  Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius top and bottom heat or 160 degrees Celsius fan.
• 4
  Carefully roll out the dough between two sheets of baking paper (always roll from the center to the edge of the circle, not back and forth, and gradually turn by a quarter turn). Place in the fridge for a few minutes.
• 5
  For the tartlets, cut out circles with a diameter of 7 cm and carefully transfer them into molds. From the remaining dough, cut strips with a knife (keep the dough chilled in the fridge as you work with it, it makes it easier to handle). Place the edges into the tartlets and lightly press them to the bottom.
• 6
  Refrigerate for half an hour and then trim the edges along the rim.
• 7
  Line the dough with aluminum foil or crumpled baking paper and fill (weigh down) generously with rice (or beans). Bake the tartlets for 8 minutes, then carefully remove the paper/foil with the filling and bake for another 6-8 minutes until light golden. Let cool completely on a wire rack before carefully removing from the molds.
• 8
  You can bake the crusts a day in advance. Store in a closed container at room temperature.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE APRICOT CREAM

• 1
  Make a puree from the apricots. Place them in a bowl and scald with boiling water. Let them steep for a while and then peel off the skin. Transfer the apricots to a container of an immersion blender and blend. Pour the puree into a pot, add 75 g of water and other ingredients except for the butter, and start heating while stirring constantly. After a while, add the butter and continue stirring. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue to cook for a few minutes while stirring constantly.
• 2
  Transfer to a bowl, cover with cling film touching the surface, and refrigerate to cool and set.
• 3
  Then whisk with a mixer and fold in the stiffly whipped cream with a spatula. Return the cream to the fridge for a while.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE JELLY

• 1
  Boil everything except the gelatin (optionally add a small amount of water or juice from apricot compote at the beginning) just briefly so the apricots release some juice and the mixture is warm. Remove from heat. Soak the gelatin and once it softens, squeeze it and stir it into the warm apricot mixture (it must dissolve). Let cool and set in the fridge.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ASSEMBLY

• 1
  Spread a layer of jelly in the crusts up to the edge of the tartlets.
• 2
  Using a piping tip, apply the apricot cream on top of the jelly (the St. Honoré tip was used in the photos, but use any or, for example, an ice cream scoop or just a spoon).
• 3
  Garnish with leftover jelly or fresh apricots.