Peach Tart

I go in baking cycles and tend to use some ingredient often and then put it away and go on to something else. This was the situation with puff pastry until I tried, and then craved, buttery, flaky palmiers and fruit tarts in Paris. I was addicted.

I swear I will never go without packages of puff pastry and phyllo dough in the freezer. It is possible to turn the most ordinary ingredients into something praise worthy and fit for company with very little effort and expense. Saturday at the farmers market I bought several perfectly ripened peaches with the thought of recreating one of the divine and expensive fruit tarts we saw in almost every Parisian patissiere.

I used one sheet from a package of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry. I cut out a circle of dough 10 inches in diameter using a bowl as a guide. If your circle is a little too big just give the dough a roll or two with a rolling pin to reach the size you need. Cut out the circle and then run a small knife 1/2" in from the edge, barely cutting into the dough. This will create the raised edge around the tart.

Place slices of fruit in decorative rows inside the inner cut line. I love peaches, and apples, pears, plums, and nectarines would be delish too. I think berries would be too juicy. Once the fruit is in place sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar over the fruit (1/4 cup for apples because they don't make so much juice). Dot with butter.

I baked the tart on my pizza stone because I like a crisp, flaky crust. I unfolded the dough on top of a sheet of parchment paper, cut out the dough, and trimmed the paper about an inch bigger than the dough circle. I then used my pizza peel to transfer the tart and the parchment paper to the preheated stone. The tart baked for about 35 minutes at 400 degrees. Watch carefully after 30 minutes to make sure the pastry doesn't burn. I baked mine to a deep brown because I like a crisp crust.

When the tart comes out of the oven and is still hot brush on a glaze of peach or apricot jam thinned with a little orange juice or rum. Be sure to glaze the entire tart including the pastry crust around the edge. I used The Herb Garden's Lavender Peach Jam for the glaze: 1/4 cup peach jam thinned with 2 tablespoons rum, heated and brushed over the tart. More about this company and their luscious lavender jams in my next post.

This dessert is best eaten the day it is baked because the crust tends to absorb the peach juices and will become a bit soft. But that doesn't hurt the flavor one bit. Enjoy.