Apricot Curd Chocolate Tart with Candied Lime Basil

I had a cousins BBQ at our place in PA this past weekend. With over 10 people, a record low for us lately, the crowd was manageable enough to leave me some time for baking.

We’re a large family. I believe there are about 64 cousins on my line in the family tree. It’s hard to get everyone together as we are scattered all over the place. So getting this amount together was satisfying. Our sibling grandparents all came to this country looking for better lives. Most succeeded. The family name is Einhorn which means unicorn in German. I briefly contemplated making some goofy unicorn cookies but since there was only one young person attending, I decided to go with something more practical.

This delicious lime basil I grew was just waiting for something special. This was the occasion. I had the idea to candy it and lay it on top of tartlets. I can’t say enough about this lime basil. The flavor is simply wow. I highly recommend growing some if you can get your hands on seeds or a starter plant next spring. It’s at the top of my already ridiculously long 2014 planting list.

Searching high and low both in the NYC apartment and in PA for phantom tartlet pans I swore I had revealed nothing. They are in Germany. A quick trip to local stores did not yield any either so I reluctantly gave in and made a large tart. Less precious but just as effective.

A box of apricots sitting in the fridge that badly needed to be consumed quickly became the curd flavor I was racking my brain for.  A chocolate tart crust added another flavor layer and the candied lime basil sprinkled on top was a bright accent both visually and for the taste buds.

This tart was not overly sweet but loaded with flavor. Sort of like my wonderful extended family.

For the Chocolate Tart Crust:

I used Martha Stewart’s recipe found here and baked the crust for about a 1/2 hour at 350 degrees F.

For the Apricot Curd:
(Very slightly adapted from this recipe over at Global Table Adventure)

Ingredients:

• 10 fresh ripe apricots
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon AP flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:

• De-pit and slice apricots into pieces.
• Place in a food processor and process until almost liquid.
• Place in a saucepan and heat until just boiling.
• Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla until almost liquid and a pale yellow color.
• Whisk in flour and cornstarch.
• Add hot apricot paste a bit at a time, whisking to temper.
• When everything is combined, return to the saucepan, heat until mixture thickens a bit more.
• Remove from heat, transfer to a heatproof bowl.
• Cover with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap is touching the top of the curd.
• Refrigerate until ready to use or serve.

For the Candied Lime Basil:

Try this recipe for candied basil but substituted my homhomegrownme variation for the regular version.

To assemble the tart, spoon the curd into the chocolate tart shell, smooth over the top and sprinkle with the candied basil.