Apricot almond shortbread
Recipe by Ursula Ferrigno
SERVES 8-10
Preparation 1 hour 20 minutes
Cooking 40 minutes
115g unsalted butter, softened
115g caster sugar
1 egg
100g self-raising flour
100g plain white flour or ‘00’ Italian flour
for the filling
40g unsalted butter
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 egg yolk
2-3 drops of pure vanilla extract
25g ground almonds
2 tbsp plain flour or ‘00’ Italian flour
225g fresh apricots
for the topping
115g ground almonds
3 tbsp caster sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp Amaretto
4 egg whites
115g apricot conserve
55g flaked almonds, toasted
To make the shortcake, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and creamy. Beat in the egg. Stir in the self-raising and plain flour. On a floured surface, knead lightly until smooth. Wrap in greaseproof paper and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the filling. Beat the butter, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla extract in a small bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in the ground almonds and flour. Blitz the apricots in a food processor until smooth. Gently fold into the almond mixture.
Preheat the oven to 170ºC/Gas Mark 3. Grease and line a deep 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin. Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each half to a 20cm round. Place one round into the prepared tin. Spread the filling mixture over the dough, to within 1cm of the edge. Place the second round of dough over the apricot mixture and press the edges together.
Brush with water, then bake for 30-35 minutes until pale golden brown. Leave to stand for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. Remove the paper lining carefully and place on a baking tray. Turn the oven up to 200ºC/Gas Mark 6.
To make the topping, put the almonds and sugar in a bowl. In a small bowl, mix the egg yolks and Amaretto, then stir into the almond mixture. Whisk 2 of the egg whites until stiff. Fold a quarter of the mixture into the whisked egg whites. Mix well and spread over the sides of the shortcake. Whisk the remaining egg whites until stiff and fold into the reserved almond mixture. Spoon into a piping bag, fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe zigzags over the top of the shortcake and spread the remainder around the edge. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the top is lightly browned.
Meanwhile, heat the apricot conserve until melted, then sieve into a bowl. Spoon two-thirds of the conserve between the zigzag lines and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Spread the sides with the remaining apricot conserve and coat with the toasted almonds. Leave to cool before serving.
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