Creamy Apricot Tart Parfait

An easy to put together creamy apricot tart parfait, that is bursting with fresh flavors and spices. It’s packed with nutrients and antioxidants, plus it’s gluten free too!

My parents have a small backyard that has some tress, including two apricots. One of them is really huge, and produce so so many apricots. So, every year my mom makes delicious apricot jam, and makes an apricot juice daily until the season finish. She always share her produce with her neighbors and friends.  I got my share too of course! One to make this luscious tart, and more to make some jam.

Apricot

Round, juicy, and small fruits. It is related to the prunes family. They have firm texture with a velvety surface and unique flavor. However some varieties are sour, some are really sweet. You need to pick a sweet one for this recipe, so you don’t add lots of sugar, even it’s  unrefined.

Apricots is very healthy fruit, some of the health benefits are:

• Has good amounts Vitamin A and C , potassium, and manganese.
• It has high amounts of soluble and insoluble fibers.
• High in carotenoids, the pigment that gives the apricots its color, and works like antioxidant.

Apricots and Diabetes

Actually, apricots can be good for you, if you are diabetic. They are low in glycemix index,  and the fibers play great role in maintaining the blood sugar level, by slowing the time of digestion

I used the same recipe for the tart as I did with the ricotta tomato tart I made the last summer. I used butter, I know it’s not the best option, but it makes a good base for the tart. I’m planning to test coconut oil in future tart recipes. However, I did use coconut oil in this healthy chocolate pie, but that one was no bake and mixed with nuts, totally different formula.

You need to put each layer carefully, and actually wait couple of hours, so the layers keep the shape and don’t get mixed. This is better eaten the next day, the flavors got richer and more intense. You can enjoy this parfait with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup, or some crushed pistachio, and maybe some dried apricots bits.

Yield: 8

Creamy Apricot Tart Parfait

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

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Ingredients

• The tart base:
• 1 cup Gluten free flour
• 1 Tb sugar
• 8 TB butter
• 4 Tb ice water
• Apricot filling:
• 4 cup of pitted apricots
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1 Tb cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 4 Tb corn starch dissolved in 4 Tb cold water
• Cream:
• 200g Cream cheese ( you can use light)
• 2 Tb of Maple syrup
• Honey for drizzling (optional)

Instructions

1. In a food processor or by a pastry cutter, compress the cold butter with flour, and sprinkle the black pepper. Add water gradually, and don't press it, we won't it to be a dough.
2. Cover it with parchment paper, and put in the freezer for 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven at 180C , and start working on the filling.
4. Put the pitted apricots in a medium pot, along with the sugar and spices on the stove.
5. Let it boils, then reduce the heat to the minimum and simmer for 30-40 minutes.
6. Now put the tart shell in the Remove from the oven , wait until the tart shell cools completely.
7. Add corn starch mix tot the apricot mix,and keep stirring, until you have the desired consistency.
8. Turn of then heat, remove the pot, and transfer the apricot to a deep bowl or a jar, and let it cool, then keep it in the fridge.
9. Beat the cream cheese with honey until it's fluffy.
10. Now, put the tart layer in the bottom of the cup, you may need little butter to hold it up.
11. Then add an apricot layer, put in the fridge.
12. After couple of hours, put the cream cheese over the the top of apricot filling, add some crushed pistachio, and put back in the fridge overnight.
13. Serve it cold and refrigerate any leftovers.