16 September 2017
Welcome friends. Last week I went to a local Arts Festival. It was a beautiful day to be outside. There were many artists from around the midwest and most of the work was very interesting. I spent more time looking around than I had planned. At one end of the street there was a small Japanese garden. This garden environment was very relaxing and I couldn't help taking a few pictures of the plants.
Earlier in the week, I signed up for an evening class at the Art Institute. There is something about the art school atmosphere that makes me feel comforted. August was a really difficult month (more than I care to write about). The two experiences helped me to feel recharged. I began to wonder what it would be like to live in a country where art mattered. I think that some people would say that art matters in this country, but I'm not sure. Time and money both matter. I can see the way they are woven into our culture.
Lately I've been feeling some summertime sadness. I'm not ready for it to be over. Today I'm sharing my peach tart recipe as an antidote for summertime sadness. Peaches are bold and complex and bursting with summer. There is also something ephemeral about peaches. They are here and then they are gone.
In this recipe, the peaches are the top layer. Below them is a layer of almond cream. The base is a crust of brioche. The brioche is the time burner in this recipe. I did not include it in the time estimates. You can find my brioche recipe here: brioche recipe. The other parts of the tart come together quickly. I think if you are short on time, you can use a puff pastry sheet.
Sometimes I make a large tart, using an 11 inch pan. Sometimes I make smaller tarts like the ones in the picture, using 4 ½ inch pans. When you are rolling out the dough, remember that it will expand as it bakes. The almond cream will also puff up in the oven. It is a good idea to place your tarts on a baking sheet, in case there is any overflow.
Buy your peaches from a local farmer's market, if you can.
Peach Tart
40 min. prep time | 25 min. bake time | 1 hr cool-time
Ingredients
makes 1 large tart or 6 small tarts
- for the crust
- 1/2 brioche recipe or 1 puff pastry sheet
- for the peaches
- 3 Tbl fresh orange juice
- 1 tsp orange blossom water
- 6 ripe peaches, sliced and peeled
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- for the almond cream
- 3/4 cup almonds, ground
- 6 Tbl unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 tsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
preheat the oven to 375° F. Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven.
place the orange juice and orange blossom water in a medium bowl. Slice and peel the peaches, adding them to the bowl. Once all of the peaches are added, sprinkle the cinnamon over the top and stir until combined. Set this aside.
place the almonds in a food processor fitted with a blade. Grind them until they are fine but do not start clumping together, about 30 seconds. Add the butter and process for about 30 seconds. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the sugar and process for another 30 seconds until the mixture becomes smooth. Add the flour and cornstarch and pulse to combine. Add the egg and process for about 15 seconds until the cream is smooth. Add the vanilla and pulse a few times, until it is combined with the cream.
roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Fit the dough into a tart pan.
spread the almond cream over the dough. Arrange the sliced peaches on the top of tart.
place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake on the middle rack of the oven.
bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The cream should be bubbly and puffy, and the crust should be a light golden. Allow the tart to cool in the tart pan for 1 hour.