White Peach Tart

A perfect summer dessert should be easy to put together and it should definitely utilize and enhance the delicious fruit available this time of year. There are quite a few types of desserts that fit these requirements: crumbles, cobblers, and grunts for example, but sometimes I feel fancy and I want to make a tart. Something about lining a pan with fruit arranged in concentric circles just makes me feel elegant. What? Just me?



Tarts can be really easy you guys, especially when you can just pat the crust into a pan (no rolling! and for the love of unicorns, no blind baking!) Then, all you have to do is slice up some of summer's sweetest, blushing white peaches (no peeling!), toss them gently with a bit of ginger and lime for a punch of flavor, tuck them into your previously patted crust, and wait patiently.



After a few minutes in a hot oven the peaches soften and release their juices, the corny crust crisps and browns, and it's done. A perfect summer pair, all baked up in a fancy dessert that was a cinch to put together.

Not that this even needs to be said, but the leftovers (if there are any) make a delicious breakfast.

White Peach Tart with Ginger and Lime in a Cornmeal Crust
yield, 1 10'' or 11'' tart

For the Crust
This makes a nice, thick crust (about 1/4'') which is my preference. If you prefer your crusts on the thin side, you may want to set aside a bit of the dough for another use before patting it into the pan.

4 ounces corn flour (or very fine cornmeal)
4 ounces all purpose flour
1.75 ounces sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon lime zest
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 ounces butter, melted and cooled
1 egg yolk

1. In a medium bowl, stir the flours, sugar, salt and lime zest. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add in the olive oil, butter and egg yolk. Stir gently to combine.
2. Turn the dough out into a 10'' or 11'' removable bottom tart pan and pat it evenly on the bottom and up the sides. Refrigerate the shell while you prepare the filling.

For the Filling

4 medium white peaches
1'' piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
juice of 1/2 a lime
1.75 ounces turbinado sugar (or white sugar)
3/4 ounce all purpose flour
1 ounce cold butter (cut into small cubes)

Preheat oven to 425º

1. Cut the peaches into wedges about 1/2'' thick (I cut my peaches into eighths).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the grated ginger, lime zest and juice, turbinado sugar and flour. Add the sliced peaches and toss gently to coat them in the mixture.
3. Arrange the peaches in tight concentric circles on top of the prepared shell, pour any juices left in the bowl on top, and dot the tart with the cold butter cubes.
4. Slide the tart into the oven and bake until the peaches are soft and have released their juices and the crust is golden, about 30-40 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature with whipped cream, creme fraiche or a scoop of ice cream.

Orange Almond Upside Down Cake

I've been taking myself on more adventures lately. Nothing big or fancy, just a short jaunt every now and then to somwhere I've never been before.  I love this city, but the Northwesterner in me longs for more green stuff and fresh(er) air.

I had the afternoon free last Friday and a new camera to test out so I grabbed some film, a snack and hopped an uptown train to visit Fort Tryon Park and The Cloisters at the upper tip of Manhattan. The Cloisters house a collection of medieval art and architecture including some damn fine unicorn tapestries and beautiful gardens full of trees and plants depicted in the art. Pretty neat stuff. 

It was cold and bright that day. When I got off of the train I noticed here were very few other people in the park, save a class of kids having lunch and a grounds keeper or two. The quiet was nice and I wandered through the park, following all of the stairways and paths I came across until I got to the museum. 

Admittedly, winter wasn't the best time to visit as there wasn't much going on, but there were signs of spring popping up in the form of crocuses and hyacinths spread throughout the enclosed courtyards. There were even a few citrus trees (maybe mandarins of some sort?) full of fruit in varying stages of ripeness.

It was a wonderful, inspiring afternoon and on my way back through Fort Tryon Park I walked slowly and savored a juicy Sumo Mandarin and let my mind wander a little bit. I'll be sure to visit later in the Spring and Summer when things are a bit greener and to see the fig, quince, and apple trees heavy with fruit.

With the scent of citrus oils on my hands, I thought all of the way home about baking something light and orangey. I knew this simple gluten free cake I spotted on Simple Bites a few weeks ago and was the perfect thing to cap off the day.


Orange Almond Upside Down Cake
adapted from Simple Bites

For the Topping

1 thinly sliced navel orange
2T butter
1/3c sugar

For the Cake

8oz soft butter
8oz sugar
8oz finely ground almonds
3 eggs
1t vanilla extract
2T lemon juice
zest of 2 lemons
zest of 1 orange
3oz fine cornmeal
1t baking powder
1/2t salt

Preheat oven to 325º. Grease and line a 9'' cake pan with parchment paper. I obviously didn't line my pan and the cake stuck a bit, not too bad, but not good either. So don't be like me, line your pan.

For the Topping

In a medium skillet melt the butter then add the sugar. Over medium heat, cook for 1 minute. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, then arrange the sliced oranges on top of the butter/sugar mixture in a single layer. You may have to slice your slices in half for this.

For the Cake

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer, or with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3min. Add the almonds and mix thoroughly.
2. Add in the eggs one at a time followed by vanilla, zests, and lemon juice.
3. Fold in the cornmeal, baking powder and salt making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure that the batter is mixed well.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Slide into the oven and bake for 40-45min or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10min, then invert onto a plate or platter to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temp.

Notes:

- This blog is a great resource for fun day trips from NYC that are accessible by subway, train and car: nycitycures.com
- The Cloisters Gardeners keep a blog too: The Medieval Gardens Enclosed