Apricot (or strawberry or blueberry) Frangipane Tart

Directions

1. -You will also need a tart pan. This recipe makes enough material for 2 "normal" 8-inch wide and 1-inch deep tart pans. Alternatively use a single 2-inch deep tart pan. -baking beads or raw rice -a pie crust protective ring. Or use a sheet of aluminum foil with the center cut out (to protect the crust rim from over baking).
2. First we will prepare the pastry dough. Or you can buy a crust (skip down xx steps). Using a food processor, add the flour, sugar, salt and vegetable shortening. Run for 10 seconds. Then the flour is more like sand.
3. Cube the butter into 1/2-inch cubes, add to the flour, and pulse 7 times only, for 1-second each. Not more. We want largish butter pieces, about pea size.
4. Pour the mixture into a large bowl. It is still quite dry.
5. Whisk together one egg and 2 tbs of the ice water in a small bowl. Pour about 1/2 over the flour, and use 2 forks to toss the flour, like making a salad. Work around the bowl. Continue to add each remaining quarter, and tossing. There is sufficient fluid in the dough when all the dry flour disappears from the bottom of the bowl. If there is still dry flour, then add more ice water, but just 1 tbs at a time. Finally use your hands to compress the dough into a ball.
6. Dump the ball on a kneading surface and work it for only a minute. We want enough gluten to form such that squishing out a small piece does not form cracks.
7. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill in refrigerator, about 30 minutes. It can remain overnight if you are preparing the dough ahead of time!
8. If you bought a pie crust, start here! Place a round of parchment paper in bottom of the tart pan.
9. Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap into a thin, 1/8 inch, round. Lay gently into the tart tin. Allow extra to hang over the outside of the pan. Prick the bottom of the shell in a dozen places with a fork. Chill in freezer for 30 minutes max.
10. We are going to "blind bake" or pre-bake the tart crust. Preheat oven to 340F convection.
11. Beat up the second egg and use a brush to egg wash the pastry shell, bottom and sides. Continue to leave extra dough hanging over the sides.
12. Line the chilled shell with buttered parchment paper, butter side against the dough, and fill with pie weights or uncooked rice.
13. Place the tart tin on a cookie sheet (else the extra dough will fall into the bottom of your oven!). Bake for 15 minutes. This bake is to get the crust started, to avoid soggy crust!
14. Carefully remove the foil and weights and parchment. *Do not* remove the pastry shell from the tart tin!! Let it cool about 20 minutes. Trim off the extra crust now.
15. Baking the frangipane tart: (you can start this immediately after the crust is out of the oven).
16. Preheat oven to 340F.
17. In a large bowl, beat the soft butter and sugar until creamy and smooth. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs for about 3 minutes.
18. Mix the eggs into the butter. Then mix in the cornstarch.
19. Fold in the almond and flour.
20. Place the protective ring over the pan, such that the rim of dough is covered.
21. Bake the 1-inch deep tart tin for 30-35 minutes, testing at 30 minutes. Bake the 2-inch pan for 45-55 minutes, testing at 45 minutes. Test for doneness by shaking the pan slightly, and when the center is still, and pressing down a bit it rebounds, it is done.
22. Cool in the tart tin for 10 minutes.
23. Make the fruit curd We don't do this ahead of time because we need the hot mixture to set in place on top of the cake! If the cake rose too near the top of the tin, trim off some of the cake top.
24. Pour the pureed fruit into a heavy bottom sauce pan.
25. Stir in the cornstarch. Add sugar, salt, butter, and egg.
26. On low heat, stir constantly, until it suddenly thickens. Stop when you see the very first boiling bubble, else you risk the egg curdling into a mess.
27. Por the curd over the frangipane cake, right up to the top of the crust! Immediately shake the pan a bit to smooth the surface!
28. Chill 2 hours in refrigerator to set. Carefully remove the tart from the tin. We want it to look nice!