Alas summer has come to an end in Perth and stone fruits are reaching the bitter end of their glorious season.
If you're anything like me you're a bit of a fruit-fanatic, and I can never seem to get enough of peaches.
One of my favorite ways to prepare them, and trust me there are many ways, is to pair it with puff pastry. I can't tell you enough how much I love puff. It's versatile, easy to use, inexpensive, and downright delicious.
I learnt how to make my own puff in culinary school, and boys and girls, it is crazy town. So much time and effort goes into making this complex dough, and while I appreciate the process, ain't nobody got time for that. Not even the professionals. Everyone uses store-bought, so let's go with that!
Now, back to this delectable dessert. It is a crowd pleasure. You can make it ahead and serve it room temp with a bit of clotted cream and toasted nuts alongside a pot of your favorite tea. Or better still, if you're entertaining, once you've served dinner just pop it in the oven and voila! Warm gooey peaches, flaky puff, all rounded off with a scoop of your favorite ice cream (I'm currently obsessed with vegan coconut ice-cream!) I can't think of a better way to end a meal, can you?
For four tarts you'll need:
2 sheets of puff pastry, defrosted
3 ripe peaches
1 egg (free range!)
100g brown sugar + little extra
100g almond meal
100g butter, room temp
1 orange
Handful of coconut, optional
Big swig of Cointreau, optional
Start by preheating your oven to 190 C / 375 F and line a flat baking tray with parchment. I like to spray the tray, apply the paper, then spray the paper to ensure everything stays in place and doesn't stick.
Next, grab your peaches and a big bowl. Cut your peaches in half, then carefully with the tip of your knife pierce the stone and yank it out.
Thinly slice the peaches and place them into a big bowl. Squeeze half the orange over the cut peaches and set aside.
Now, onto the fun bit. I always thought I wasn't a fan of Frangipane but I was definitley misguided, this stuff is amazing. Most recipes call for white sugar but I think the brown sugar adds a lovely depth. Similarly, I experimented with the cointreau and found that the sharp alcohol flavor cooks out and what you're left with is an intriguing orange flavor that leaves you wanting more.
With an electric mixer beat together the butter and sugar until its delightfully light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then add your swig of liquor. Now with a rubber spatula, mix in the almond meal, and zest your remaining half of orange. You will be left with a delicate, fluffy, heavenly paste that will test your will power more than you can imagine. It is so tasty.
Place your pastry on a clean surface and with a sharp knife cut it into long rectangles. I like to use one of the peach segments as a guide for the width.
Transfer the pastry to your prepared tray then with your spatula smear on a layer of the paste. Be careful to not go too thick with the layer, and be sure to leave a plain margin around the edges. I made a mistake with this batch and got too 'paste-happy' and had a biiiiit of an overflow incident. It didn't taste bad, just doesn't look as pretty at the end.
Start layering your peaches in an orderly row, making sure they overlap ever-so-slightly. I'm not the most patient person in the world, but this part definitely makes for a cracking end result.
At this point you can pop it straight into the oven, but I went one step further and sprinkled the edges with desiccated coconut. Bad idea. Coconut browns very quickly, so if you'd like to use it, add it in the last 5 minutes of cooking otherwise it will burn much like mine did!
Place your tray into the oven and set a timer for 15 minutes. The peaches will look fabulous, but the doneness of the puff is what you should worry about.
The sides will look ready, but underneath tells a different story. If you're not careful you could end up with a stodgy, albeit beautiful, pastry. I like to slide a butterknife underneath and have a quick peak before taking the tarts out.
It usually just takes a few more minutes in the oven at this point. However, if you find that the bottom still isn't quite done, tarp some foil on top to prevent it from over-coloring while it finishes cooking.
Once the base looks nice and crispy take the tray out of the oven, transfer the tarts to a wire rack, and leave it to cool slightly before slicing.
And there you have it! One of my favorite ways to highlight the beauty of stone fruits. Ive done this dessert with peaches, plums, and nectarines alike - they're all winners in my books. But this dessert right here, well, its just peachy! Sorry, couldn't resist.
Pro Tip: If you want to really wow your guests, zap some marmalade/jam in the microwave for 15 seconds and brush it onto the peaches in the last five minutes of cooking. This adds a lovely professional glazed appearance that will surely impress.
If you're anything like me you're a bit of a fruit-fanatic, and I can never seem to get enough of peaches.
One of my favorite ways to prepare them, and trust me there are many ways, is to pair it with puff pastry. I can't tell you enough how much I love puff. It's versatile, easy to use, inexpensive, and downright delicious.
I learnt how to make my own puff in culinary school, and boys and girls, it is crazy town. So much time and effort goes into making this complex dough, and while I appreciate the process, ain't nobody got time for that. Not even the professionals. Everyone uses store-bought, so let's go with that!
Now, back to this delectable dessert. It is a crowd pleasure. You can make it ahead and serve it room temp with a bit of clotted cream and toasted nuts alongside a pot of your favorite tea. Or better still, if you're entertaining, once you've served dinner just pop it in the oven and voila! Warm gooey peaches, flaky puff, all rounded off with a scoop of your favorite ice cream (I'm currently obsessed with vegan coconut ice-cream!) I can't think of a better way to end a meal, can you?
For four tarts you'll need:
2 sheets of puff pastry, defrosted
3 ripe peaches
1 egg (free range!)
100g brown sugar + little extra
100g almond meal
100g butter, room temp
1 orange
Handful of coconut, optional
Big swig of Cointreau, optional
Start by preheating your oven to 190 C / 375 F and line a flat baking tray with parchment. I like to spray the tray, apply the paper, then spray the paper to ensure everything stays in place and doesn't stick.
Next, grab your peaches and a big bowl. Cut your peaches in half, then carefully with the tip of your knife pierce the stone and yank it out.
Now, onto the fun bit. I always thought I wasn't a fan of Frangipane but I was definitley misguided, this stuff is amazing. Most recipes call for white sugar but I think the brown sugar adds a lovely depth. Similarly, I experimented with the cointreau and found that the sharp alcohol flavor cooks out and what you're left with is an intriguing orange flavor that leaves you wanting more.
Start layering your peaches in an orderly row, making sure they overlap ever-so-slightly. I'm not the most patient person in the world, but this part definitely makes for a cracking end result.
At this point you can pop it straight into the oven, but I went one step further and sprinkled the edges with desiccated coconut. Bad idea. Coconut browns very quickly, so if you'd like to use it, add it in the last 5 minutes of cooking otherwise it will burn much like mine did!
Place your tray into the oven and set a timer for 15 minutes. The peaches will look fabulous, but the doneness of the puff is what you should worry about.
The sides will look ready, but underneath tells a different story. If you're not careful you could end up with a stodgy, albeit beautiful, pastry. I like to slide a butterknife underneath and have a quick peak before taking the tarts out.
It usually just takes a few more minutes in the oven at this point. However, if you find that the bottom still isn't quite done, tarp some foil on top to prevent it from over-coloring while it finishes cooking.
Once the base looks nice and crispy take the tray out of the oven, transfer the tarts to a wire rack, and leave it to cool slightly before slicing.
Pro Tip: If you want to really wow your guests, zap some marmalade/jam in the microwave for 15 seconds and brush it onto the peaches in the last five minutes of cooking. This adds a lovely professional glazed appearance that will surely impress.
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