Tarte Bergere Aux Abricots

FILLING
3 lb Ripe apricots
3/4 c Sugar
6 tb All-purpose flour
1 Pinches salt
6 lg Eggs
1 1/2 c Heavy whipping cream
2 ts Vanilla extract

EQUIPMENT
One; (10-inch) round pan,
; 2 inches deep,
; buttered

Set a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

For the dough, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of
a food processor and pulse to mix. Cut butter into 12 pieces and add. Pulse
repeatedly until butter is mixed in finely. Add eggs and continue to pulse
until dough forms a ball. Wrap and chill dough while preparing filling.

Rinse, stem, halve and pit the apricots. Combine the sugar, flour and salt
in a mixing bowl and whisk to mix. Whisk in the eggs, two at a time, then
whisk in the cream and vanilla. Cut off 2/3 of the dough. Roll it on a
floured surface and use it to line the prepared pan. Trim dough even with
top rim of pan. Arrange the apricot halves, skin side down, slightly
over-lapping, and in concentric circles, in the dough-lined pan. Pour the
cream and egg mixture over the apricots.

For the top crust, roll remaining dough to a 8 by 10-inch rectangle and cut
into ten 3/4-inch by 10-inch strips. Arrange 5 strips on the filling, then
arrange another 5 strips diagonally to the first ones to form a lattice.
Trim ends of dough even with rim of pan.

Bake the tart for about 1 hour, until the pastry is baked through and the
filling is set. Plunge the point of a thin knife into the center of the
tart, it should emerge fairly clean. Cool the tart on a rack and serve it
at room temperature.

Yield: one 10-inch tart, about 10 servings.