Apricot cream choux with cracked caramel

BASE: Preheat oven to 160 ºC and butter a 20 cm diameter flan pan or springform pan.
Process almonds, then mix in flour. Add butter pieces and process to fine breadcrumb consistency. Stir in sugar and sprinkle over pan.
Press down lightly with back of a metal spoon. Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
CHOUX PUFFS: Increase oven temperature to 200 ºC. Melt butter in 150 ml (3/5 cup) water, bring to boil.
Tip in flour, remove from stove and beat to a soft ball. Cool, then beat in eggs a little at a time.
Drop 20-24 teaspoonfuls of batter, well spaced, onto greased baking, sheets. Bake for 20 minutes until puffy and golden.
Remove from oven, split to allow steam to escape. Return to turned-off oven for 10 minutes, then cool on a rack.
FILLING: Purée apricots, then press through a sieve. Whip cream, fold in apricot purée and sugar.
Shortly before serving, fill puffs, reserving surplus.
CARAMEL: Stir sugar with 85 ml (1/3 cup) water over low heat in a heavy-based pan until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring for 5 minutes, or until golden.
Quickly dip top of each filled puff into caramel and pile onto almond base, cementing puffs with caramel. Pour remaining caramel onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and leave to harden. Cover with parchment and crush coarsely.
Decorate tart with remaining filling and caramel.
TOTAL KILOJOULE COUNT: 24 735 kJ (5 910 Cal). A portion: 3 090 kJ (740 Cal).