ELLY McCAUSLAND rustles up a rustic tart with apricots.

APRICOTS are the most irresistible summer fruit for me. Their marigold hue, downy skin and peachy blush never fail to entice me at the market or supermarket.

One of the best apricot desserts is a simple French-style galette, a rustic tart that is easy to make but looks incredibly impressive brought to the table, and showcases the sweet beauty of the apricot, encased in crisp, buttery pastry.

Apricot galette (serves 6):

For the pastry:
150g spelt flour
2 tsp golden caster sugar
Pinch of salt
85g cold butter, cubed
2-3 tbsp cold water

Around 600g ripe apricots
4 tbsp golden caster sugar
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp milk
2 tsp demerara sugar

First, make the pastry. Put the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and add the butter. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the water gradually and mix until the dough just comes together, and is soft and pliable but not sticky. Knead into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the pastry out on a piece of baking parchment to a circle around 12 inches wide, and a thickness of about half a centimetre. Chill for another 30 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 200C. Put the pastry circle, on its baking parchment, on a baking sheet. Mix 1 tbsp of the sugar with the flour, and sprinkle over the pastry circle, leaving a border of about 1.5 inches. Slice the apricots and arrange the slices over the flour and sugar, overlapping slightly.

Sprinkle with the remaining caster sugar. Fold the pastry border inwards over the fruit, pressing it together where it overlaps – make sure there are no gaps.

Brush the folded edges with milk and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Bake for around 40 minutes, until the pastry is golden and crisp. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or crème fraiche.

Read more of Elly’s recipes on her blog: nutmegsseven.co.uk