Peach Tart

This is so easy. Cutting the peaches turned out to be the hardest part, and even THAT was easy. I had picked up a box of peaches from Trader Joe's and let them sit out until they were perfectly ripe. There are only two of us, so we ate as many as we could so I had to find a way to use them. Cobblers and Crisps came to mind, but everybody makes those. And I had a frozen sheet of Dufour Puff Pastry in the freezer I had been wanting to use, so the right answer turned out to be a Peach Tart!

RUSTIC PEACH TART

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (I prefer Dufour's)

7 to 8 ripe peaches

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon corn starch

3 tablespoons brown sugar

dash of cinnamon (optional)

2 tablespoons apricot preserves

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon sugar (optional)


Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 15x10 pan with non-stick spray.

Sprinkle rolling surface with some flour. Unfold puff pastry and lightly sprinkle top with flour. Roll out to approximate size of pan then place in pan. Using a sharp knife, cut off about 1/2 inch on all sides making straight sides. Fold cut-off pieces back over edges making them double height. Score halfway through bottom layer inside of this second layer being sure to NOT CUT ALL THE WAY THROUGH. This helps make an edge to keep the peach stuff in.

Slice peaches into about 8 pieces and place in bowl. Toss with the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar.

Combine the flour, corn starch and brown sugar (and cinnamon, if desired.) Sprinkle over the bottom of the crust (this will thicken and sweeten the fruit and its juices). Arrange the peaches on top using a slotted spoon into a slightly heaped but even single layer but DO NOT pour any of the juices from the bowl on the tart. Trust me, it will be juicy enough. DO NOT heap the peaches up in the center or the tart won't cook correctly.

Heat preserves and honey (either on the stove or a microwave) enough to melt. Brush over the peaches. (I also brush some on the crust around the edge, too.)

Bake 350° for about 40 minutes on a low oven rack, until fruit looks cooked and the crust is golden brown. If desired, sprinkle a teaspoon-ish of sugar over the tart for the last 10-15 minutes. It will give the tart added sparkle. This is completely optional.

DO NOT cut immediately! It needs to sit a bit and let the juices thicken up. If you cut it right away, all that delicious juice will run out before they can thicken as they cool. Trust me, it is worth the wait.

My notes:

• I have found I prefer Dufour's puff pastry (which I get at my local Whole Foods). Its the right size, though a little expensive. But it also tastes the best.
• I have used Stevia for the sugar and a Splenda/brown sugar blend for the sweeteners. It worked fine.
• As usual, I added cinnamon- I add it to everything, it seems.
• I used raw honey for the honey but regular will work.
• I like the "rustic" look, so I didn't bother lining all the peach slices up like some folks do. Tastes the same either way.
• I used a packet of raw turbinado sugar for the "sparkle".
• I was uncomfortable with what looked like a lot of extra liquid but it thickened up upon cooling.
• Depending on the size of the peaches, you may need more or less. When I thought I needed more, I would cut up another one and stir it into the left-over juices in the bowl, then use the slotted spoon and apply them to the tart. Repeat as necessary.
• Forgot to make the glaze last time I made it, and it was still delicious!

ATK Banana Bread

I must say, I was intrigued by a recipe for banana bread that called for pre-cooking the bananas and then cooking the resulting liquids even more. Turns out, it was a fairly tasty banana bread. Although, once I get done tarting it up, I'm not sure the mess and extra time make it THAT much better than the old Joy of Cooking base recipe I used to use. But I'm too lazy to do a side-by-side test and the extra steps give me something to boast about.

Banana Bread from America's Test Kitchen (transcribed from tv episode)

Put 5 bananas in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap and microwaved for 5 minutes. Put bananas in mesh sieve over bowl and allow to drain until needed after next step. You will need both the bananas and the liquid.

1 3/4 cp flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

Whisk together in large bowl. Set aside.

Put banana liquid in saucepan and cook over medium high until only 1/4 cup left. About 5 minutes (mine took a little longer.) Mash into bananas. Add in:

1 stick melted butter

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

Whisk together. Add in:

3/4 cup brown sugar, mixing until dissolved.

Stir wet into dry ingredients until just mixed. 

Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts if desired. Spray loaf pan with cooking spray. Pour batter in. Decorate with 2 rows sliced banana (from one banana) if desired, then sprinkle with 2 tsp sugar evenly to make crust.

Bake at 350 for about an hour, turning once while cooking. Cool for 15 minutes then remove from pan.

My notes:

• Use REALLY ripe bananas for that sweet banana flavor. I take really ripe bananas and peel them, then throw in a bag in the freezer till I need them. I usually end up using some frozen, some not- just add a little more time to the initial microwaving.
• I added cinnamon (I add a dash of cinnamon to most things it seems.)
• I added about 1/2 to 1 cup of chopped dried apricots
• I didn't bother with the banana decoration, but I did sprinkle the top with raw, turbinado sugar
• I also discovered that if your brown sugar was as hard as mine, you can just microwave it until it becomes soft enough to use. I don't remember how long that takes, however.
• Be careful not to overcook. I think I did and it was drier than I like. Since I never make the same thing the same way twice, even with a recipe, there could have been other factors at work here.