Peaches are in season and once again a friend dropped off a bounty of peaches and plums. I saw a post on Instagram of individual peach tarts and decide right then I was going to make a peach tart. It looked like they may have added a cream to the tart. As live in an almond orchard valley in Central California, you would think almonds would be cheap here, but I've yet to find that. So I decide i was going to figure out how to make almond cream. After a little research I decide to mash up a few recipes to make this delicious Peach Almond Cream recipe. Enjoy this summer delight.
1. Pastry Tart Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold butter (small cubes for easier mixing)
2. Almond Cream
7 ounces almond paste (usually sold on the baking aisle of major grocery stores. In the US it comes in tubes or small 8 oz boxes)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons Amaretto
3. Peaches and Sugar
2-4 medium peaches, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Turbinado sugar
Handful sliced almonds
1. Pastry: I use my Cuisinart food processor for this, its the fastest easiest way to make this happen. You could use a pastry cutter and then do a little kneading, into a ball, just be careful to not over knead. For the pastry, place the flour, salt and sugar in the food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse to mix the dry ingredients a few seconds and then add the butter (I cube my butter into small pieces with a knife before putting it the processor), and pulse 10 - 12 times. While the motor is running pour in 1/2 cup of ice water down the feed tube. You will see the pastry quickly comes together into a ball. Dump this onto a floured surface and make sure you knead this into a ball, mine just about always is already in a ball, I just pat it together and wrap in plastic and refrigerate for an hour.
When ready to use take out of the refrigerator for a few minutes before rolling it out. I roll out the tart out just big enough to fit on my cookie sheet. I use either parchment paper or silicone sheet to line my cookie sheet. Fold over the edges to make a nice crust or leave flat.
2. Almond Cream: Place almond paste and butter in a food processor and blend. Add eggs and process until smooth. Add sugar, flour, salt, and Amaretto; process until combined. Pour the almond cream on your rolled out pastry dough. Smooth it a nice even layer over the entire tart (Not the folded over crust if you choose that route)
3. Add sliced peaches in a few rows. Be creative on how you want them to lay out. I like them in long rows. Sprinkle with the Turbinado sugar and almond slices and put in the oven.
Bake for 45 minutes to an hour in a 400 degree oven. Cool, slice and EAT.
