Peach and Almond Cream Tart

Recipe Source: Clements, Carole & Elizabeth Wolf-Cohen. French: The Secrets of Classic Cooking Made Easy.  Anness Publishing Ltd, 2006, p. 191

We had recently entertained the idea of inviting some friends over for Sunday dinner. I wanted to serve a dessert, since my Western pastry skills are more than a little lacking. While my usual rule for dessert is that if it isn't chocolate it doesn't count, one of the guests dislikes chocolate. I looked through my books for something appealing that wasn't chocolate, and I found the source for this recipe. While the dinner never happened - weather intervened, a common hazard in New England - I still wanted to see how the tart would turn out.

I made a few changes to the original recipe, mostly to suit my own needs. First, the original recipe was for a pear and almond cream tart. I didn't have pears. I had peaches, which had been sitting in my refrigerator for a couple of weeks and needed to be used. The original did suggest trying the recipe with peaches. I just used one full recipe of the Fearless Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (which was posted yesterday) instead of weighing out my dough. When the time came to make the glaze, I realized that I had neglected to purchase peach jam in the store. I had rose petal preserves, however, so I decided to use those and some Amaretto instead of brandy and peach preserves. I've used peach and rose together in prior experiments to some success, so I was reasonably confident that the two would match well, and of course almonds and rose pair amazingly well. If rose petal preserves aren't in your pantry, or if that just sounds too gross to you, use peach jam, or try raspberry or strawberry jam.

Working with the dough, as I mentioned yesterday, was a bit of a challenge, but I managed to get through. Other than that, the recipe was pretty straightforward and simple. Some might object to my using fresh peaches in February - after all, they're hardly seasonal - but I think t hat the recipe was just the thing for a chilly winter's night. It would probably be just as good during peach season!

Peach and Almond Cream Tart (serves 8, approx. $1.21 per serving)

• 3 large, firm peaches
• 1 recipe Fearless Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
• 1 tablespoon Amaretto
• 4 tablespoons rose petal preserves

For the almond cream

• 3/4 cups whole almonds
• 1/4 cup superfine sugar
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 1/4 teaspoon (approx.) almond extract

Equipment

• Food processor
• 9" pie plate
• Rolling pin
• Aluminum foil
• Baking sheet

1. Roll out your pastry following the instructions in yesterday's Fearless Sweet Shortcrust Pastry posting. If rolling it out proves too difficult, use your hands to press it into the pie plate as though the dough were wet clay. Chill the pastry case until ready to fill.
2. Process the almonds and sugar together until they are finely ground. Don't let them form into a paste! It may be easier for you to pulse them.
3. Add the butter to the food processor and process until creamy.
4. Add the egg, egg white and almond extract; mix well.
5. Place a baking sheet into the oven and preheat to 375 degrees.
6. Pit the peaches, then halve them. Peel the halves and slice very thinly.
7. Pour the almond cream filling from the food processor into the pastry case. Smooth it out with a spatula or butter knife. A wooden spoon would work just as well. It will, however, stick to your hands, so don't use those.
8. Take the slices of peaches and arrange on top of the almond cream like spokes on a wheel. Fan the slices out; this creates a very pretty effect and ensures that all the peach pieces cook evenly.
9. Place the pie plate on the baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes. The filling will be set and browned. If this has not yet happened, bake for another five minutes or so. If the filling bubbles up and spills, it will spill onto the baking sheet, not into your oven!
10. While the tart is cooking, prepare the glaze. Heat the rose petal preserves and amaretto in a small pan over low heat until they are loose and sticky.
11. When the tart is done baking, remove it from the oven and place it on a rack to cool. Paint it with the glaze while it is still very hot.
12. Serve the tart at room temperature.

As a side note, I was able to pass some of the leftover tart on to the friend who inspired it.  I got a call from her son last night, who's not yet three, thanking me and saying how much all three had enjoyed it (which really made my night!)  So I guess that this is a good "kid" recipe, although this kid also really likes broccoli. 

Comments

[Patricia]

Wesley did LOVE the tart, although he insisted on calling it a pie! Also, it was his idea to say thank you.

[jess]

Thanks. Of course, if he can't tell the difference between a tart and a pie at age 2 1/2.... :) I'm really glad you enjoyed it, and that call absolutrly made my night.