Sassy Southern Cooking with a French Twist

Summertime is Peach and Sweet Tea Time

What a summer it’s been! Record-breaking heat, rock’n roll world economy, riots in London – craziness! It all just makes you want to reach for a peach – the ultimate heat-buster and soul-soother. And, the great news is that, at least in South Carolina, it’s been a banner year for peaches. They are as sweet and juicy as I can ever remember.  This tart, adapted from Tart Love – Sassy, Savory and Sweet (Gibbs Smith, October, 2011) makes sweet use of one of summer’s sweetest, coolest fruits. Happy cooking!

(Photo by Helene Dujardin)

Sweet Green Tea Cream and Fresh Peach Tart with “Grawnola” Crunch

(Makes about 12 servings)

In the Deep South, where I live, sweet tea is consumed by the thirsty gallons during the sweltering months of July and August, which also happens to be peak peach season. Voila! Inspiration for these refreshing and light tarts!

The creamy filling, which forms the flavor backbone of the pastry cream, is infused with both green and peach tea. Underneath the pastry cream sits the curious crunch of a fabulous “raw” variation on granola that can be purchased online at www.grawnola.com. Or substitute another lightly sweetened granola of choice. In addition to the pleasing crunch, putting the granola underneath the pastry cream protects the pastry from getting soggy. Enjy these pretty-as-a-peach fresh treats!

(Note: Do NOT substitute the cream with a lower fat product like milk or half-and-half or the cream will curdle once the lemon juice is added.

Equipment Needed: Two 13 X 4 X 1-inch rectangular tart pans with removable bottoms

1 Recipe Master Sweet Pastry

2 1/4 cups White Lily all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

Generous pinch sea salt or kosher salt

2 sticks (1 cup) AA grade unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/4″ cubes

About 3 tablespoons ice-cold water, or just enough to hold the pastry together

Egg wash (yolk, splash water, pinch salt blended together)

Pastry Cream:

2 1/4 cups whole cream 

1 bag each green tea and peach tea

6 large egg yolks

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Zest of 2 lemons

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Tart Filling:

1 cup grawnola or branch of your choice, crumbled into small pieces

8 peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced 1/4 inch thick

1/4 cup peach or apricot jelly

Confectioners sugar for garnish, optional

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare the Master Sweet Pastry.  In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a plastic blade, pulse together the flour, salt and sugar. Add the cold butter cubes and pulse, 40 – 50 times, or until the butter is crumbly like large sand. Very slowly, drizzle the cold water through the mouth of the processor, pulsing constantly, until the pastry begins to form a very clumsy, loose ball. Turn out onto a floured surface, quickly form into a 2″-thick disk. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (or overnight).

Once chilled, turn out the pastry onto a floured surface. Cut it in half. Roll out the first half to 1/4″ thickness and line one of the tart pans with it, leaving a slightly elevated border, about 1/4″ high. Repeat with the second. Chill the lined tart pans for 20 minutes. Line both tarts with parchment paper and fill completely with dried beans or pie weights. Blind bake for about 25 minutes, until golden. Remove the pie weights and brush the sides and top with the egg wash. Bake 15 – 20 minutes more, or until the crust is completely baked and golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. (Note: The tarts can be baked, cooled and sealed in an airtight container up to a full day in advance of filling them).

Prepare the pastry cream. Bring the cream up to a simmer in a medium-size pot over medium-high heat. Drop both tea bags into the cream and set aside to steep (i.e., infuse) for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whick eggs vigorously until they are light and lemon-colored. All at once, add the sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, zest, and juice. Continue whisking until thoroughly combined and light. Set aside.

Remove tea bags from the milk and squeeze gently to release any additional tea flavor. Discard bags. Bring the milk back up to a simmer. Secure the bowl containing the egg mixture by wrapping a damp kitchen towel, rat-tail style, around the bottom of the bowl so it will not move while you’re working. Slowly stream the warm milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Once all of the milk has been poured into the bowl, return the entire mixture to the pan and continue cooking over medium heat a very gentle simmer, whisking constantly. The cream will thicken quickly, in about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and turn out into a clean bowl to cool. Cover the top tightly with plastic wrap, pressing onto the top of the cream to prevent air pockets. Refrigerate to cool and set completely, about 4 hours. (Note: This can be done a day in advance).

To assemble the tarts, crumble grawnola evenly into the bottom of each shell. Top with equal quantities of the cooled cream, spreading evenly with a spatula. Arrange sliced peaches into two attractive vertical rows. Keep the slices tight to one another, avoiding gaps. Heat the jam with a few drops of water in a small cup in the microwave on high for 3 seconds, or until soft and melted. Stir to blend, then brush the tops of the peaches, cream and edges of the tart with the glaze. Garnish the edges with a flurry of sifted confectioner’s sugar , if desired. Refrigerate until serving, no more than 3 or 4 hours for maximum freshness. 

 

 

 

 

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