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two pieces of pasta flora on round plates sprinkled with icing sugar.
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5 from 4 votes

Apricot Tart Recipe (Pasta Flora)

Pasta flora is a Greek apricot jam tart made with a delicious koulourakia cookie crust filled with sweet apricot jam.
Prep Time1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Additional Time30 minutes
Total Time2 hours 10 minutes
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: Greek
Keyword: apricot, apricot tart, spring desserts
Servings: 15 slices
Calories: 336kcal
Author: Ria Mavrikos

Equipment

  • 1 electric mixer with the paddle attachment
  • 1 9"x13" baking pan
  • 1 Pastry brush
  • 1 Rolling Pin

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup white granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 oz. Metaxa brandy or cognac
  • Orange zest from one orange
  • 4 cups all purpose flour sifted
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder level
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 500-600 grams Apricot jam *you can add more jam if you'd like
  • 1 egg yolk for the egg wash
  • 1-2 teaspoons milk for the egg wash

Instructions

  • Cream the butter and sugar together.
    In a mixing bowl using the paddle attachment, beat ½ cup unsalted butter on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Next, slowly add 1 cup granulated sugar and continue mixing on medium speed for a couple of minutes. Then scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  • Add the eggs:
    Add 1 egg at a time, mixing on medium-high speed for 30-45 seconds between each addition. Once all eggs are incorporated, add 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and two tablespoons brandy. Mix to combine, then scrape the sides and paddle with a spatula.
  • Combine the dry ingredients:
    Sift together 3 ½ cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon orange zest, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Form the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for 20-25 minutes.
  • Prepare your workspace:
    Preheat the oven to 350°F on bake. Lightly flour a clean surface for rolling, and grease the bottom and sides of a 9" x 13" baking pan with butter.
  • Soften the apricot jam:
    Heat ½ cup apricot jam in a small saucepan over low heat until it's easy to spread. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • Roll and shape the dough:
    Remove the dough from the fridge. Cut off ⅓ for the top of the tart. Roll the remaining ⅔ into a circle and press into the bottom and sides of the baking pan. Trim any excess dough and combine with the smaller dough ball.
  • Create the top pieces:
    Roll out the reserved dough and shape it into a lattice, strips, or cut-out shapes, using a rolling pin if necessary.
  • Assemble the tart:
    Spread the apricot jam evenly over the dough base. Arrange the top pieces on the jam, pressing gently into the filling and attaching them to the sides of the crust.
  • Bake the tart:
    Brush the top pieces with egg wash (this is optional but will produce a more golden brown colour) and bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Let the tart cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Sprinkle with icing sugar and enjoy!

Notes

  • The butter needs to be at room temperature so that it can get nice and fluffy.  If you beat the butter and it doesn't get fluffy after a couple of minutes, stop the mixer and let it warm up gradually.  Repeat mixing again.
  • Allow the dough to cool in the fridge for at least 20-25 minutes. This will allow time for the butter to cool and make the dough easier to shape and hold in the baking pan. While you press the dough in the pie tart, you can refrigerate the remaining 1/3 of the dough (this is the amount you'll use for the top of the pie tart).  Then, once the base is ready, cover it well with saran wrap and place it in the fridge to cool while you make the designs for the top of the jam tart. 
  • I use a fluted pastry wheel to cut the dough into long strips to make a lattice top, but you can roll the dough into strips or create any design that you'd like! 
  • The cookie dough will expand as it bakes, so you only need a thin layer on the bottom.  The sides of the dough only need to come up 1/2 on the side of the baking pan.  Remove the excess dough and combine it with the other 1/3 of the dough to make the top pieces. 
  • You can add more jam if you like, but the koulourakia cookie dough is sweet. While it doesn't look like a lot of jam when you first spread it out in the pan, the cookie crust will expand. 
  • Baking pasta flora in a glass pan is possible, but it will retain heat longer, so the pasta flora will need longer to cool before slicing. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 89mg | Potassium: 83mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 339IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 2mg