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Double Crust Peach Tart

June 2024
Caitlin Schumacher, chef/owner of Girl Nextdough, showcases a bright, slightly tart peach filling in sweet, melt-in-your-mouth dough
SERVES: 
8
Rate This Recipe: 
0
INGREDIENTS: 

For the crust:
4 cups all-purpose flour 
3 Tbs. sugar
1/4 tsp. kosher salt 
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 lb. unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and kept cold
1/4 cup ice cold water 

For the filling:
2½ lbs. peaches 
7 Tbs. sugar, divided
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice 
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
3 Tbs. cornstarch

For the egg wash:
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 Tbs. cream
Granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS: 

For the crust:
You will need a 10-inch fluted tart shell with a removable bottom. 

Place the flour, sugar, salt, and coriander in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix well. Toss the cold cubes of butter with the dry ingredients in order to coat each piece of butter in flour.

Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and begin paddling on the lowest speed. When the butter is pea-sized, start streaming in the water with the mixer running. It should take about 30 seconds to incorporate the water. Continue mixing until the dough forms a solid mass. 

Divide the dough in half. Pat each half into a disk, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate them for one hour.

After chilling, roll each disk of dough between two sheets of parchment paper into a round slightly larger than the tart pan, about 14 inches. If the dough is too cold to roll, let it sit for 10 minutes at room temperature and then proceed. Place one of the pieces with its parchment paper on the top of a baking sheet and refrigerate it. This will be used to make the top crust. 

For the other piece of dough, gently peel the parchment off of the top of the dough. Invert the tart pan on top. Slide your palm underneath the parchment and flip the dough into the pan. Peel off the parchment. Smooth out any cracks with your fingertips.

Using the interior of your thumb, press the dough outward against the fluted rim of the pan to create straight edges. Fold the excess dough inward on itself to create thicker walls for the tart. Using your thumb, press the walls of the tart outward to make an even thickness. Prick the bottom of the dough all over with a fork. Put the pan in the freezer until ready to proceed.

You can make the dough two days ahead, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate, or three weeks ahead if wrapped tightly and frozen. Frozen dough should be thawed overnight in the refrigerator.

For the filling:
Bring a large pot filled with water to a boil. Make an ice bath in a bowl with equal parts ice and water. Score an X in the skin on the bottom of the peaches, cutting through the skin but not deeply into the flesh. Drop five or six peaches into the boiling water for about 45 seconds. Remove and submerge them in the ice bath for about one minute to cool them and stop the cooking. Peel away the skin starting from the bottom where the X is cut. Repeat with remaining peaches.

Carefully cut the fruit off of the pit, slicing it into ½-inch thick slices. Toss the cut peaches with five tablespoons of the sugar, the lemon juice, and salt. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 30 minutes, the peaches will have released their juices. Set up a colander with a bowl underneath to collect the liquid and pour the peaches into the colander. 

Measure the liquid (you should have between 3/4 cup to one cup). 

Place the liquid in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat to reduce it by half, ending up with six tablespoons to a ½ cup. 

Combine the remaining two tablespoons of sugar with the cornstarch. Place the drained peaches in a large pot, such as a Dutch oven, along with the reduced liquid and the sugar/cornstarch mixture. Over medium heat, stirring frequently, cook the peaches until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Let the mixture boil for about a minute. Remove from heat and transfer into a bowl to cool completely. 

To assemble:
Preheat an oven to 350°F. 

Remove the prepared tart shell from the freezer and place it on a baking sheet. Line the shell with parchment paper, leaving several inches of overhang around the edges. Fill the parchment with pie weights or beans. Be sure to fill the shell all the way up to the top to prevent the edges from collapsing. Bake the bottom crust with the weights for 45 minutes. Gently lift the parchment to remove weights and return the crust to the oven for another seven minutes, or until the dough is lightly golden. Let cool completely. 

Spoon the prepared peach filling into the bottom crust, using a spatula to collect all the liquid. Spread it into a smooth layer. 
Remove the refrigerated sheet of dough and peel off the top piece of parchment. Place the parchment back on top of the dough and invert. Peel off the other sheet of parchment to release the dough from the paper on both sides. 

Using a cutter of your choice, cut out shapes in the top crust to allow the filling to peek through. Place the top crust over the prepared shell with filling. Using your thumb, press the edges of the top crust downward around the fluted edge to seal. 

Combine the egg, egg yolk, and cream and lightly beat together. Brush the top crust with it, add the cut out shapes in a random pattern on the top crust, egg wash them as well, then sprinkle the entire crust with granulated sugar. Bake the tart at 350°F for 45 minutes. Rotate it and continue to bake it for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool completely before cutting, about two hours.

The tart can be assembled and held in the refrigerator for about two hours before baking but it is best served on the same day as baking.

Cool Crusts: “I like to use two different size star-shaped cutters, cutting two large stars and about seven small stars in a random pattern,” says Schumacher.

Girl Nextdough
1230 Camp Rd., James Island
girlnextdough.com

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