• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons cold water
• 1/4 cup whole blanched almonds
• 1 1/4 lb rhubarb stalks (preferably about 1 1/3 inches wide)
• 1/4 cup apricot preserves, melted and strained

Make crust:
1. Whisk together 1-cup flour, 1-tablespoon sugar and salt.
2. Blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with remainder in small (roughly pea-size) lumps.
3. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons water and stir with a fork until incorporated.
4. Gently squeeze a small handful: It should hold together without crumbling apart. If it doesn't, blend in remaining 1/2 tablespoon water.
5. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and smear 3 times in a forward motion to help distribute fat.
6. Gather dough and form it, rotating on work surface, into a disk.
7. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
8. Roll out dough between sheets of wax paper, 2 overlapping sheets each for top and bottom, into a 12-inch round and chill until firm, about 15 minutes.

Make filling:
1. Pulse almonds with 2 tablespoons sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons flour in a food processor until finely ground (be careful not to grind to a paste).
2. Cut rhubarb crosswise, holding knife at a 45-degree angle, into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
3. Preheat oven to 375F.
4. Remove top sheets of wax paper and invert dough onto a large baking sheet, then remove remaining wax paper (now on top).
5. Fold edge of crust in to form a 1/2-inch border, pressing to seal to bottom crust.
6. Spread ground almonds over crust (except border).
7. Top with rhubarb, overlapping slices and arranging them decoratively.
8. Score edge of crust decoratively, and then chill tart 15 minutes.
9. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup sugar evenly over rhubarb and bake in lower third of oven until crust is golden brown on edges and rhubarb is tender, 35 to 45 minutes.
10. Cool tart on baking sheet on a rack, then brush rhubarb with enough preserves to coat evenly.

    Makes 8 servings.