Apricot Tart

This Apricot Tart would be such a welcome treat on a warm Summer day! With fantastic flavors and very little oven time, you'll find yourself making this again and again!

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This Apricot Tart is a sweet pastry crust filled with apricot preserves and a no-bake cheesecake filling, topped with fresh apricots! Cool, creamy, and delicious, it's a fantastic Summer treat!

If you enjoy this recipe, check out the posts for my Chocolate Mango Tart, Blueberry Curd Tart, and No Bake Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake!

How to Choose Apricots

Apricots are stone fruits that are smaller than peaches and nectarines and softer than plums. When ripe, they have a delicious sweet-tart flavor!

Here are some tips on how to choose the best apricots:

• Buy Apricots when they are in season. In-season fruit always has the best flavor! Here in the United States, apricots are in season sometime between May and August, depending on where you live.
• Choose apricots that are deep in color. Apricots should be a deep orange or yellow-orange color. You want to avoid apricots that are pale in color or green.
• Choose smooth, unblemished fruit. Apricots should be smooth, with no wrinkles. They should also not have any dents or soft/brown spots.
• Apricots should be firm and plump. Ripe apricots should have a little give to them. If they're soft, they're too ripe and not worth buying. If hard, they're not ripe yet, but you can ripen them at home if not green!
• Have a sniff! Apricots will have a strong smell that's lovely and floral when ripe.

How to Store Apricots

So now you've got your apricots, but how do you store them until you whip up this tart?

If your apricots aren't ripe yet, place them in a paper bag out on your counter at room temperature. The ethylene gas produced by the apricots will be trapped in the bag and help them to ripen more quickly. Depending on how much ripening they need, this usually takes 2-3 days. You can open the bag and check them daily to ensure they're not ripening too much.

If your apricots are ripe, put them inside a plastic bag or container in your refrigerator. Both the protection from the air and the cooler temperature will help your apricots to stay good longer. However, the flavor and/or texture of the apricots may be altered the longer they're stored in the refrigerator, so it's best to eat them within a few days.

Ingredients

Here's everything you need to whip up this beautiful tart! Measurements for each of the ingredients are included in the recipe card, below.

Tart Crust Ingredients

• Flour - Provides structure for the crust. I used all-purpose flour.
• Cornstarch - Helps give the crust a crumbly and tender texture.
• Salt - To help balance and enhance the flavor of the crust.
• Unsalted Butter - For moisture and richness; unsalted so that you control the amount of salt in the recipe. You want your butter to be softened before you begin.
• Powdered Sugar - For sweetness and keeping the pastry moist. The powdered sugar also helps for a crumbly and tender texture.
• Egg - For moisture and structure. You want your egg to be at room temperature.

Tip: No cornstarch? Skip the cornstarch and use cake flour instead of all-purpose and still get a similar texture!

Tart Filling Ingredients

• Cream Cheese - For the dominant flavor and texture of the filling! I use full-fat cream cheese. You want it to be at room temperature before you get started.
• Sugar - For sweetness.
• Lemon Juice - To improve the texture of the cheesecake. Also helps the cheesecake to retain its shape.
• Heavy Cream - Once whipped, the cream lightens the texture of the cheesecake.
• Vanilla Bean Paste - For amazing flavor! I also love the little black flecks that it leaves in the cheesecake. If you'd rather substitute, you can use an equal measure of vanilla extract.
• Apricot Preserves - For flavor, and helps the crust from getting soggy as quickly.
• Apricots - for flavor. Fresh apricots work best.

Instructions

Here's how to make this recipe, step by step! More detailed instructions are included in the recipe card, below.

Combine the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.

Add egg and mix to combine.

Add dry ingredients and mix to form a soft dough. Chill 30 minutes.

Roll out the crust and line the tart pan. Bake, then allow to cool completely.

Combine cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice.

Beat cream with vanilla bean paste until it thickens and peaks form.

Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.

Spread the apricot preserves and cheesecake mixture in the baked and cooled crust, then chill.

Variations

There are several delicious variations that can be made to this recipe:

• Change the fruit - the no-bake cheesecake filling will pair well with berries, citrus, you name it! Feel free to mix-and-match your fruit to your preference or what looks good at your local farmer's market.
• Add some zest - A little citrus zest (about 2 tablespoons) added to the dough for the crust and/or the cheesecake filling would add a little zing to the recipe!

Equipment

Here are a few pieces of equipment that I used to make this tart:

• Tart Pan - I used a 9" tart pan with removable bottom. I like lighter color pans (as opposed to the darker, nonstick pans) because the crust browns more slowly.
• Pie Weights - Pie weights help to ensure that you have the room that you need for filling. You can buy actual pie weights if you'd like, but I just use black beans. They're cheap and you can use them over and over again.
• Offset Spatula - Not a necessity, but very handy to spread the apricot preserves and cheesecake filling into the crust while keeping your fingers out of the way!

Storage

The tart will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for up to three days, though the crust may start to get soggy the longer you store it.

Frequently Asked Questions

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