With peaches at their peak a couple of weeks ago this fresh Peach Tart from the Food 52 website was the perfect ending to the meal I prepared for our friends from Maryland on the first evening of their arrival.
Not only is it delicious it is so simple to prepare. Here is what Amanda Hesser has to say about her recipe…
“Every cook needs a good dessert recipe that can be whipped up anywhere-especially when you’re away from your kitchen and its mixer and rolling pin and comforting gadgets. this peach tart is that recipe for me. To make it all you need is a knife, a bowl, and some kind of a pan. A tart pan ideally, but I’ve even made it on a baking sheet with one sideshored up with aluminum foil. And when I’ve been without a bowl, I’ve even mixed the dough right in the pan.
The dough is made with oil, milk and almond extract, and is pressed into the pan. there is no blind baking nonsense. you just top the dough with the peaches, and then shower it with a sugary, salty crumble and send it on its merry way to the oven.
I got the original recipe from my mother, who uses all vegetable oil in the crust. I use half vegetable oil and half olive oil. she neatly peels her peaches. Lazy kin, I do not. Hers is probably better, but you are stuck with me. I can promise you, however, that whoever you serve this to will not mind.”
I made it just as she suggests, and it is definitely a keeper. Here is the recipe…
Peach Tart ( recipe from Amanda Hesser, Food 52)
Makes one 11-inch tart; serves 8
1and1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoons kosher salt
¾ cups plus 1 teaspoon sugar
¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
¼ cup mild olive oil
2 tablespoons whole milk
½ teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
3 to 5 small ripe peaches, pitted and thickly sliced (about1/2-inch wide)
1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, stir together 1 and ½ cups flour, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar. Stirring enables the salt and sugar to sift the flour, so you don’t need to sift it in advance.
In a small bowl, whisk together the oils, milk, and almond extract.
Pour this mixture into the flour mixture and mix gently with a fork, just enough to dampen; do not over work it.
Then, transfer the dough to and 11-inch tart pan ( you can use a smaller one if needed), and use your hands to pat out the dough so it covers the bottom of the pan, pushing it up to the sides to meet the edges.
This will work if you pat firmly and confidently, but not if you curl your fingertips into the dough. It should be about 1/8-inch thick all the way around; trim and discard excess dough.
2. In a bowl, combine ¾ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, ¼ teaspoon salt and the butter. (If your peaches are especially juicy, add 1 tablespoon additional flour.) Using your fingers, pinch the butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly, with a mixture of fine gramules and tiny pebbles.
3. Starting on the outside, arrange the peaches overlapping in a concentric circle over the pastry; fill in the center in whatever pattern makes sense. the peaches should fit snugly.
Sprinkle the pebbly butter mixture over top. (it will seem like a lot).
Bake for 35-45 minutes, until shiny, thick bubbles begin enveloping the fruit and the crust is slightly brown.
Cool on a rack.
Serve warm or room temperature, preferably with generous dollops of whipped cream, (or, in my case, vanilla ice cream).
