1-First Steps: Getting the Pastry Ready: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and prepare the shortcrust pastry. Combine 190 g flour, ½ tsp salt, and 2.5 tsp sugar, then cut in 135 g cold butter until it forms pea-sized pieces. Gradually add 4 5 tbsp ice-cold water to form a dough, chill for 1-2 hours, roll it out, and line a 24 cm tart pan. Prick the base, blind bake with weights for 15 minutes, remove weights, brush with 1 small egg wash, and bake 10-15 minutes more until golden. Let it cool before moving on this step sets up that buttery base everyone raves about.

2-Making the Frangipane Filling: While the pastry cools, whip up the frangipane. Cream 120 g butter at room temperature with 150 g caster sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 ½ tsp almond extract until light and fluffy. Beat in 3 large eggs one at a time, then fold in 150 g ground almonds and 80 g flour until smooth. You can make this ahead and refrigerate it, giving you more time to enjoy the process. This filling adds that creamy, almond-flavored heart to your apricot frangipane tart.

3-Assembling and Baking: Spread 250 g apricot jam over the cooled pastry warm it if it’s too thick. Arrange 300 g fresh apricots, pitted and halved or quartered, closely over the jam. Pour the frangipane mixture evenly over the fruit, making sure it touches the pastry edges. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 40-50 minutes until golden and set, or 50-60 minutes if using frozen apricots. Once done, let it cool in the pan for the best texture. If you’re trying variations, remember to adjust as needed for a flawless result.

4-Final Touches: For the decoration, mix 100 g sifted powdered sugar with 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice to a drizzling consistency, then drizzle it over the cooled tart. Sprinkle 50 g toasted flaked almonds around the edges for that extra crunch. The whole process takes about 3 hours total, with 2 hours for prep and 1 hour for baking, making it a rewarding project for any baking enthusiast.