Caramelised Peach Crostata
What’s your most memorable summer holiday dish? It always amazes us how our senses work in connection to our memories. This crostata for example is simply a mixture of some basic ingredients…
For the pasta frolla:
250g plain flour
120g butter, cold and cubed
120g icing sugar
Zest of 1 lemon or orange
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, whisked
For the peach filling:
650g ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced into wedges
150g soft light brown sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
For the frangipane:
100g ground almonds
60g sugar
80g butter, room temperature
1 large egg
½ tsp almond extract
Equipment:
Tala Performance 23cm Tart Tin
Tala Performance 16cm Classic Saucepan
To make pasta frolla: Put the flour, butter and sugar into mixing bowl and use your fingers to rub everything together until no large chunks remain. Add lemon zest, vanilla and salt and stir to combine. Add whisked egg and yolk and mixed until just combined. Turn the dough into clean worksurface and knead lightly until it is smooth. Divide the dough into two disks, one slightly larger then the other. Wrap each piece of dough into clingfilm and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Steps..
1.Make the peach filling: Place the peaches, brown sugar, and lemon juice in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat to dissolve the sugar, about 5 minutes.
2.Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Simmer, stirring often, until the peach slices are tender but still intact, and the mixture has thickened to a syrupy consistency (about 10 minutes).
3.Stir in the cinnamon and simmer for 5 minutes more. You should be able to drag a path through the bottom of the saucepan with a silicon or wooden spoon. Scrape the peaches into a heat-proof bowl and let cool completely.
4,Make the frangipane: Place the butter and sugar into a bowl and cream together for a couple of minutes.
5.Add egg and almond extract and mix until combined. Fold in the ground almonds and mix everything together to combine well. Heat the oven to 170°C.
6.Remove the pasta frolla from the refrigerator. Have a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom ready.
7.Lightly dust a work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll the larger disk of pasta frolla into a 30cm circle, lifting and turning the dough as you roll to prevent sticking and create an even round. Gently wrap the dough around the rolling pin and unroll it over the tart pan.
8.Fit the dough into the pan without stretching it. Use the palm of your hand or the rolling pin to trim off the excess. Refrigerate while you roll out the second piece of dough. Roll the smaller piece of the dough into a 25 cm circle and use a fluted pastry wheel to cut it into 8-10 strips, as thin or thick as you like.
9.Remove the crostata base from the refrigerator and spread the frangipane over the bottom. Using a slotted spoon, spoon the cooled peaches over the frangipane in an even layer.
10.Position the strips of pastry on top of the peaches in a crisscross lattice pattern. Press the edges of the strips into the edge of the tart shell to secure and trim off the excess. Bake for 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
11.Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Remove the ring and transfer the crostata from the metal tart tin to a serving plate. Dust with icing sugar and drizzle with some of the reserved caramelized peach syrup.