I love the combination of apricots and earl grey and rose together. I gently poached the apricots in some earl grey for 5 minutes before assembling the tart. I did it as a tray bake style tarte tartin and used some rose syrup that I had made for another recipe, I used store bought puff pastry for quickness. once the tarte tartin was baked I sprinkled toasted almonds around the sticky edges and then dusted icing sugar over the top. I really love using tea to bake with and earl grey is probably my favourite one to use. your welcome to skip that part of the recipe is you don’t like tea or prefer firmer apricots. I leave for India on Saturday for a week for a workshop so I am feeling the usual unorganised panic I feel when go away, I need to pack and take props and stuff for goodie backs so I’m worried about the weight of my case, I’m worried about flying alone, I’m worried about the workshop and even though I know its silly I wont relax until I am there at the hotel or maybe even on the flight home. I am like it when ever I have to fly any where, which is weird as I’m not scared of flying, I’m scared of missing my flight and getting stranded. so keep your fingers crossed I get there smoothly. I think I am just panicking because it isn’t a direct flight and I have to change in Saudi Arabia on the way there and Delhi on the way back.

recipe

• approx. 10 apricots
• 1 roll of puff pastry
• 4tbsp.loose earl grey tea
• 1/2 cup flaked almonds
• icing sugar for dusting
• 2 tbsp. butter

sugar syrup (I made a syrup with fragrant wild rose petals but as they may not be easy to come by I have adapted the recipe using rose extract)

• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp rose extract
• 1/4 cup water

preheat the oven to 180c 350f. first make the syrup by adding the sugar and water and rose extract and reducing until thick and syrupy. half the apricots and remove the stones and place in a pan with boiling water and earl grey tea and turn the heat down to low and let simmer for 5 minutes. drain and let dry off. get a tray pan and line with baking paper and drizzle in some of the rose syrup so there is a thin layer and break up some chunks of the butter and sprinkle around. then place the apricots on the pan cut side up. place the puff pastry over the top and tuck in the edges and prick a couple holes in the top of the pastry to let the steam out. bake for about 35 minutes until the pastry is golden and crispy then remove from the oven and turn out on to a platter. toast the almonds lightly in a pan and sprinkle around the edge and dust with icing sugar.