Apricot, almond and orange blossom tart

Serves 6

The ingredients for this sound almost like something you could add to your bath, but I assure you that wouldn't be a good idea. Delicately perfumed with a hint of Middle Eastern promise, it's as good as pudding gets. And the beauty of the dough is that no rolling is needed.

For the pastry

185g/6½oz butter, melted and cooled
130g/4¼oz caster sugar
260g/8¼oz plain flour
2 tbsp ground almonds

For the filling

170ml/6fl oz double cream
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tbsp caster sugar
Few drops orange-blossom water
2 tbsp plain flour
500g/1lb apricots, pitted and halved

For the topping

50g/2oz Marcona almonds, sliced
15g/½oz icing sugar

To serve

Pouring cream or ice-cream

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas4. Grease a 20cm x 15cm baking tray. To make the pastry, stir the butter and sugar in a bowl then add the flour and stir to combine. Transfer the dough to the tin and press over the base and up the sides. Put the tin on a baking tray and cook for 15 minutes or until golden and slightly puffy. Remove from the oven and sprinkle over the almonds.

Meanwhile, make the filling: whisk the cream, eggs and sugar together. Add the orange-blossom water (if you can find it – the recipe will still work without) and flour and stir to combine. Lay the apricots in the tin, pour over the cream mixture then return to the oven and cook for 40-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Leave the oven on.

Mix the almonds and icing sugar together, spread on a lined baking sheet and cook for 8 to 12 minutes, until golden and candied. Remove, cool, then break up and scatter over before serving with ice-cream or pouring cream.