Fresh peaches are one of the joys of summer, and the peach season is short but delicious. This peach tart, made with a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg is a wonderful way to showcase this irresistible fruit.
On a lightly floured pastry mat or pastry board, and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the chilled pastry to a 13x10 inch rectangle and fit into one 11½x7½x1 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. (Or, roll into a 12 inch circle and use one 10 inch round tart pan with a removable bottom.) Press pastry gently against the sides of the tart pan. Trim excess pastry to ½ inch; reserve the trimmings to make decorative pastry shapes. Fold the edge of the pastry under and press gently around the rim to seal the edge, allowing pastry to extend ⅛ to ¼ inch above the top of the pan to allow for shrinkage. Leave the border plain for a rustic look or crimp as desired. Lightly prick the bottom and sides with a fork at three-fourth or one inch intervals. Place on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate tart shell until firm, at least 30 minutes.
Re-roll the pastry trimmings to a ⅛ inch thickness. Using a small knife or cookie cutter, cut pastry into desired shapes such as peach and leaf shapes. Use a small kitchen knife to make decorative marks in the pastry. Transfer shapes to an ungreased baking sheet and refrigerate until firm.
Remove pastry shapes from refrigerator. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with a little granulated sugar. Bake about 10 minutes or until a light golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
Peel, pit, and slice the peaches into 16ths. Place the sliced peaches in a large bowl and sprinkle with the lemon juice. Sprinkle ⅔ cup of sugar over the peaches and toss gently to mix evenly. Let the peach mixture sit at room temperature 30 to 60 minutes to develop the juices.
Transfer the peaches and their juices to a colander suspended over a bowl to capture the juice. The peaches will release almost 1 cup of juice.
Pour the juice into a small saucepan, preferably with a non-stick surface. Heat over medium-high heat to a boil; boil the juice down to about ⅓ cup or until it is thick and syrupy, occasionally swirl the juice around in the pan but don't stir.
While the juice is heating and boiling, transfer the peaches back to the large bowl. Sprinkle the cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg over the peaches and toss gently to mix and all traces of the cornstarch have dissolved. Pour the hot cooked peach juice over the peaches; toss gently to mix.
Bake: Place the cooled tart shell on a baking sheet; Pour the peach mixture into the tart shell. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned, the peach juices bubble thickly, and the peaches are tender when pierced with a small sharp knife. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack at least 30 minutes.
Remove the outer metal ring of the tart pan; place the tart pan on top of a large can so that the bottom balances on top of the can and the rim falls to the counter. Slide a thin metal spatula or knife between the bottom crust and the tart pan bottom to release, then slide the tart onto a serving plate, or leave the bottom of the tart pan under the tart for support.
Serving suggestion: Top tart with pastry shapes. Serve tart either when cooled to room temperature or still slightly warm. Spoon a dollop of whipped cream on top, or serve ala-mode with vanilla ice cream.
A buttery almond pastry crust balances the flavor of the sweet, yet tart lemon filling. A beautiful dessert for Valentines Day, Easter, or any special occasion. Serve this delicious tart plain or with whipped cream, and garnished with lemon peel spirals.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare one 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom; lightly grease the bottom and sides of the pan with butter.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, ground almonds, sugar, and salt. With a pastry blender, cut butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Or, process in a food processor. Add almond extract and 2 tablespoons ice water. Stir until mixture holds together when pinched with your fingers. If pastry is too dry, add additional 1 tablespoon ice water.
Press pastry evenly into tart pan, patting pastry evenly over bottom and up the sides, flush with the rim of the pan.
Bake: Place the pastry lined tart pan on a baking sheet, and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until very light golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire cooling rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
Immediately pour hot mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to strain out the lemon zest and any pieces of cooked egg; pour into baked tart crust.
Bake: Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Tip: filling will still be loose and jiggly after baking but will firm as it cools.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Refrigerate leftovers.