Burnt Apricot Tarts

Zingerman’s Bakehouse used to make a tart like this and, on the off chance they didn’t sell, employees (me) got to take them home. One such day I remarked to a coworker that, while it was a treat, day-old pastry didn’t live up to the hype of the pastry. My more-skilled scavenger coworker told me to dust the tart with powdered sugar and then flash it under the broiler to both refresh the pastry and caramelize the sugar.

This was my first introduction to burnt sugar and the complexity