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.

Fresh Currant Oat Scones

I used to bake hundereds of scones every day. Hundreds. Every morning, before the city woke up I poured myself the biggest cup of coffee I could find, and fired up two commercial ovens. Then I measured, mixed, cut, measured, mixed, cut, on repeat, for hours. I emptied 25 pound sacks of flour and 50 pound sacks of sugar into bins. I used butter by the case, buttermilk and cream by the gallon. I got strong and fast and efficient and I learned what happened when you over-mixed and under-baked pastries (bad stuff).

I liked the quiet mornings and the methodical work because once I got good at it, my mind had plenty of time to wander. I dreamt up all kinds of flavors (some more well received than others) and I loved the freedom to create, but after a few years of those mornings the thought of actually eating a scone was so incredibly unappealing that it took me nearly 7 months to even think about baking scones at home. Then it took another month for me to actually get around to it, but an extra lovely batch of red currants gave me the courage I needed to get back to sconing.

Be warned, the fresh currants make these scones quite tart, but they are excellent with a bit of butter and jam if you find them sour. I imagine they would also be delicious with a bit of lemon or orange glaze too. You can make citrus glaze by whisking about a cup of confectioner's sugar with a few tablespoons of lemon or orange juice until smooth. A bit of finely grated zest would also be a nice addition to the glaze.

Currant Oat Scones

yield, 8 scones

This recipe calls for buttermilk and heavy cream, but if you'd like to only use one type of liquid you can also 100% heavy cream. The scones may be a bit more dense and rich, but that is definitely not a bad thing.

10 ounces all purpose flour

1.5 ounces rolled oats (plus a little extra to sprinkle on top)

1.5 ounces sugar (plus a little extra to sprinkle on top)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

3 ounces cold butter, cut into cubes

4 ounces buttermilk

4 ounces, plus 2 Tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 ounces red currants or other berries

Preheat oven to 425º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats, sugar, salt, baking powder and orange zest. Use a pastry cutter or 2 knives to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Alternately, you can mix the dough for this step in a food processor.

2. Add the currants to the mixture and toss gently to combine. Make a well in the center of mixture and pour in the buttermilk, vanilla and the 4 ounces of heavy cream. Stir gently until just combined. The mixture should be soft and a little sticky, if it seems dry, add a few more tablespoons of buttermilk or heavy cream.

3. Working quickly, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and pat it into a circle about 1.5 inches high. Cut the circle into 8 wedges and transfer to the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Brush the tops of the scones with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream, then sprinkle the scones with the extra oats and sugar. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the tops are deep golden. Serve warm. The baked and cooled scones can also be stored in the freezer (wrapped tightly) for a few weeks. Warm in the oven before serving.