Apricot Clafoutis

Cream the butter. Fold in the sugar and the almond powder. Continue to mix until the mixture lightens in color; add eggs one at a time, followed by the pastry cream powder. Add pastry cream. Finish by adding diced fresh apricot.

Butter pastry rings 2 1/2 inches (6.5 cm) in diameter, set on a baking sheet, and fill with the mixture 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) high. Bake for about 15 minutes at 338°F (170°C) in a convection oven.

Remove from the pan, let cool, set aside.

Dice the apricots. Cook apricots with sugar, water, and the vanilla bean split and scraped, until the fruit pieces are tender. Chill.

For the granita, mix water and amaretto. Freeze.

Heat the milk, cream, powdered milk, and thin the almond paste into the mixture. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook the mixture in a double boiler at 183°F (84°C). Let cool at 39°F (4°C). Let sit, process, and leave to chill.

Bring sugar, glucose and butter to a boil. Add almonds. Spoon an amount the size of a walnut onto a Silpat mat and bake at 356°F (180°C) in a convection oven until slightly browned. Let cool and set aside in a dry place.

Place the cold clafoutis at the bottom of a baking ring, 2 1/2 inches (6.5 cm) in diameter. Cover with fresh apricot slices. Scrape the granita out with a fork and onto the apricot layer. Top with bitter almond ice cream, smoothed out level with the top of the baking ring. Decorate with an apricot quarter, a nougatine tuile, and several fresh almonds. Serve the apricot compote on the side.