Payard's Apricot

Ingredients

• Tarte Tatin
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey, lavender preferred
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 6 beautifully ripe large apricots (or 4 large peaches), halved
• 4 almonds from apricot pits, halved
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 teaspoon corn syrup

4 servings

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange four 3-inch-by-2-inch aluminum molds or ramekins on a baking sheet.
2. Stir sugar, honey and 1 tablespoon water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved. Boil syrup, shaking occasionally, until thick and light brown, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and carefully stir in the butter. Pour syrup into molds to make a 1/4-inch layer in each.
3. Arrange 3 apricot halves (or 1 large peach half), cut sides up, in each mold. Place 1/2 almond between two apricot halves and bake 10 to 15 minutes, until apricots are tender and juices bubble. (Time will depend upon ripeness of fruit.) Remove from oven.
4. Meanwhile, roll out pastry on floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into four 3 1/4-inch rounds with a biscuit cutter. Prick rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet with a fork and bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Using your thumb, smear each round with a very thin layer of corn syrup to glaze and prevent sogginess.
5. Discard almond halves.
6. Place a pastry round over fruit in each mold, glazed side down. Wrap the bottom of a drinking glass with plastic wrap and press the glass onto the pastry round to compress the dessert and infuse pastry with fruit. Collect overflowing juice for use as a sauce.
7. Carefully invert each onto a serving dish; serve with sauce.

1 hour