Glazed French peach tart
This peach tart is as impressive as it is delicious! The recipe works just as well with nectarines or apricots. It takes a little time to put together, but it’s a dish to be proud of.
For this recipe you will need a 28cm/11in fluted, loose-bottomed tart tin.
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 175g/6oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 115g/4oz unsalted butter, cubed
- 3 tbsp icing sugar
- 1 free-range egg, beaten
For the crème patissiere
- 6 egg yolks
- 115g/4oz caster sugar
- 55g/2oz plain flour
- 500ml/18fl oz full-fat milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100ml/3½fl oz pouring double cream, whipped to soft peaks
For the filling
- 55g/2oz caster sugar
- 8 large peaches, halved and thinly sliced
- 75g/3oz apricot jam
Method
First make the pastry. Measure the flour, butter and icing sugar into a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg and pulse again until the dough comes together.
Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the pastry as thinly as possible to be a little bigger than the tin. Line the tin with pastry, leaving any excess overhanging. Prick the base with a fork and chill in the fridge or freezer for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Line the pastry case with baking paper and fill with baking beans or uncooked rice. Bake blind for 15 minutes then remove the beans and paper and bake for another 5–10 minutes, until the pastry is pale golden and crisp. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, to make the crème patissiere, put the egg yolks, sugar and flour in a large bowl. Using an electric whisk, beat until the mixture is thick and pale.
Heat the milk in a saucepan until scalding. Slowly pour the milk into the bowl and continue whisking until smooth. Pour back into the saucepan, add the vanilla and stir constantly over a medium heat until just boiling and the mixture is at a thick ribbon stage (where a trail of mixture sits on the surface like a ribbon when you lift out the beaters).
Spoon into a bowl, cover the surface with baking paper to stop a skin forming and leave to cool.
When the crème patissiere is cold, fold in the whipped cream. Cover and set aside in the fridge until needed.
To poach the peaches, measure 200ml/7fl oz water and the caster sugar into a wide-based saucepan. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then bring up to the boil and boil for 2 minutes.
Turn down the heat, add the peach slices and simmer gently for a few minutes, until the peaches are just soft, but not falling apart. Strain the peaches from the syrup and leave to cool completely. Discard the syrup.
Put the apricot jam in a small saucepan . Place over a low heat and stir until smooth and runny.
Fill the pastry case with the cold crème patissiere, spreading to the edges. Arrange the peach slices in a neat spiral on top. Brush the peach slices pastry edges with the apricot jam and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to set before serving. Cut into wedges and serve at room temperature.