Recipe - Apricot Jalousie With Amaretto Cream

AMARETTO CREAM
6 Large egg yolks
3 tablespoon Sugar
1 cup Whipping cream
1 (1inch) vanilla bean,
cut in half lengthwise
2 tablespoon Amaretto liqueur

TART
3 tablespoon Unsalted butter
12 Whole canned apricots,
drained well, or 12 very
ripe fresh apricots,
peeled, halved, pitted
One fourth cup Sugar (or more)
1 (3inch) piece vanilla bean
cut in half lengthwise
1 Sheet frozen puff pastry
(half of 17 One half ounce pk)
thawed
1 Egg, beaten to blendglaze
Additional sugar

FOR AMARETTO CREAM: Whisk yolks and sugar in bowl to blend. Pour cream into
heavy medium saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into cream; add
bean. Bring to boil. Gradually whisk hot cream into yolk mixture. Return
to saucepan; stir over low heat until mixture thickens and leaves path on
back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 4 minutes; do not boil.
Remove from heat; stir in amaretto. Transfer to bowl. Press plastic wrap
directly onto surface of cream to prevent skin from forming. Chill until
cold. (Can be made 4 days ahead. Keep chilled). Remove vanilla bean.

FOR TART: Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add apricots and
1/3 cup sugar. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Cook until
apricots are tender, fall apart and form thick puree, stirring
occasionally, about 15 minutes for canned apricots and 30 minutes for
fresh. Cool. Remove vanilla bean. Sweeten mixtrue with more sugar, if
desired.

Preheat oven to 425F. Roll out pastry on floured surface to 12x16inch
rectangle. Cut in half lengthwise, forming two 6x16 inch rectangles. Place
1 rectangle in center of baking sheet. Spread apricots evenly over pastry,
leaving Three fourths inch border on all sides. Brush border with egg glaze. Place
second rectangle atop filling. Press edges firmly to seal. Brush with
glaze. To form rim, fold up One half inch of edge all around; press to seal.
Brush top with glaze; sprinkle with sugar. Using small sharp knife, make
diagonal cuts 2 inches apart across tart, cutting just to filling. Bake
until golden, about 25 minutes. Cool. Serve with amaretto cream.

Bon Appetit/May 94 Typed by Didi Pahl

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini