-
1
Quarter the prunes, place them in a small saucepan with the nectar and liqueur, and simmer 10 minutes to soften them.
-
2
Set them aside to cool.
-
3
Mix the flour, granulated sugar and salt together in a bowl.
-
4
Add all but one tablespoon of the butter and, using your fingertips or two knives, break the butter up into the flour mixture until the mixture has a coarse, mealy texture.
-
5
This can be done by pulsing in a food processor.
-
6
Sprinkle the ice water over the flour and butter mixture and, using a fork, lightly mix until the ingredients begin to cling together and can be formed into a dough.
-
7
If you mixed the butter and flour together in a food processor, transfer them to a bowl to mix in the water by hand.
-
8
Form the dough into a flattened ball and place it in the freezer for 10 minutes.
-
9
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
-
10
Roll out the dough between sheets of waxed paper to form a circle 12 inches in diameter.
-
11
Peel off one sheet of the waxed paper and place the dough, with the remaining sheet of paper on top, in a nine-inch tart pan.
-
12
Peel off the top sheet of waxed paper and fit the dough into the pan.
-
13
Trim the edges.
-
14
Cover the pastry with a sheet of foil, weight it with pastry weights or dry beans and bake it for 10 minutes, until it looks dry.
-
15
Remove it from the oven and remove the foil and weights.
-
16
Pit and quarter the apricots.
-
17
Mix the prunes with a tablespoon of the brown sugar and spread them over the bottom of the pastry in the pan.
-
18
Arrange the quartered apricots in a pattern over the prunes.
-
19
Sprinkle the apricots with the remaining brown sugar and dot with bits of the remaining tablespoon of butter.
-
20
Place in the oven and bake about 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the apricots begin to brown around the edges.
-
21
Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.
