Summer Fruit Tarts Recipe

??These freeform tarts are a delight to make and they have a wonderful rustic look to them,? says Amber. ?You can use different combinations of fruit – as the seasons change, so can your fillings. Sprinkle the crusts with spices and demerara sugar and you will end up with something even more delicious.?

Serves 8

900g ripe apricots, halved and stoned

2?4 tablespoons honey, to taste

300g apricot jam

180g summer berries

1 quantity of rough rye pastry (see page 104)

Pinch of ground cinnamon for the glaze

1 free-range egg

50g demerara sugar (optional)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

* Put the apricots in a bowl with the honey and 100g of the apricot jam. Put the berries in a smaller bowl with another 100g of the apricot jam and stir gently to keep the berries whole.

* Cut the pastry in half, and place the piece you are not working with in the fridge to remain chilled.

Roll out the first half of the pastry on a lightly floured surface until about 38cm diameter. Carefully transfer the rolled-out pastry to a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Repeat the process with the other half of the dough.

* Spoon half the remaining apricot jam into the middle of one of the pastry circles and place half of the?apricots and half of the berries on the jam. Carefully fold one edge in towards the centre of the fruit and?continue folding all the way round, bringing the edge of the pastry towards and over the filling to create?lovely rough folds. Repeat the process with the second tart.

* Place the trays in the freezer for at least 1 hour (this will help the tarts to keep their shape when cooking).

* You can do this in two batches if you wish.

* Preheat the oven to 180?C.

* Meanwhile, prepare the glaze. Whisk the egg in a small bowl and mix the sugar (if using) with the?cinnamon in a second bowl. When you are ready to cook the tarts, remove the trays from the freezer, brush?each tart with the egg and then liberally sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar, or plain cinnamon if you prefer.

* Transfer the trays to the oven and bake the tarts for at least 1 hour and up to 70 minutes.

* The tarts are ready when the crusts are golden brown and the filling is bubbling away. Serve warm from the?oven or slightly cooled. They are best eaten on the same day.

Love, Bake, Nourish is available from bookshops nationwide and online at amazon.co.uk [http://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Bake-Nourish-Healthier-puddings/dp/0857831674]