Apricot Tart With Pistachios

Working with phyllo dough is easy and satisfying, especially for cooks who are inclined to shy away from making pastry. Frozen puff pastry is having a moment, but for little effort, you can achieve similar results with phyllo sheets and never lift a rolling pin. Bright orange apricots are the ideal fruit, but other summer stone fruits, such as pluots, plums or nectarines, also work well. This makes a very impressive open face tart with a very crisp, ultraflaky crust.

Ingredients

• 1

  (16-ounce) package phyllo sheets, thawed (about 18 sheets)

• ¾

  cup melted butter

• 1

  cup/320 grams best-quality apricot jam, or use orange marmalade

• ½

  cup/50 grams chopped pistachios or walnuts

• 8

  large apricots (1 1/2 pounds/680 grams), halved, pitted and cut into 6 wedges each (about 3 cups)

• ⅓

  cup/67 grams granulated sugar

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lay 1 sheet phyllo on a parchment-lined 12-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon butter and brush to coat the entire phyllo sheet.
2. Top with another sheet and butter as above. Repeat with 7 more sheets, for a total of 9, buttering as you go. The final, top layer should also be buttered. (The rest of the phyllo can be wrapped and frozen for future use.)
3. Dot the top sheet with jam by the teaspoon, then, using a spatula, spread the jam to cover the entire sheet, leaving a 2-inch border.
4. Sprinkle a layer of half the chopped pistachios over the jam. Place the apricot wedges, skin-side down, in even rows across the surface, then sprinkle again with remaining pistachios.
5. Carefully fold over the edges on all sides of the tart to make a 10-by-16-inch rectangle. Brush folded sides with butter. Sprinkle sugar generously over apricots and folded edges.
6. Bake until pastry is golden and apricots begin to color, about 1 hour. Cool for 15 minutes, then cut into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.