Peach Tart with Cocoa-Almond Crust
- 4 or 5 ripe peaches (1 pound or a bit more)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 3 1/3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus a bit for the tart pan
- 1 large egg white
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soft butter, plus 1 teaspoon or more for the tart pan
- 1 tablespoon apricot jam
- Garnish: vanilla ice cream or whipped cream or creme fraiche
- A skillet or saute pan, about 10 inches wide, or just big enough to hold the peach halves in 1 layer
- A food processor
- A 9-inch fluted tart pan
- Rinse and dry the peaches, cut them in half through the stem, and remove the pits.
- Spread the 3/4 cup sugar in the bottom of the saute pan, drizzle the lemon juice all over, and fit in all the peach halves, cut side down, on top of the sugar.
- Set the pan over medium heat, and, without disturbing the contents, let the sugar dissolve in the juices released by the peaches.
- Raise the heat and bring this syrup to a boil, partially cover the pan, and cook the peaches in place for about 5 minutes, then turn them over and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Turn them over again to cook the skin side for 2 minutes.
- Keep cooking and turning the peaches until theyre tender and glistening with the syrup theyve absorbed, about 15 minutes or more, depending on ripeness.
- Cover the pan if the peaches seem hard; otherwise, cook uncovered.
- Keep the syrup bubbling and thickening, but dont let it burn.
- Turn off the heat, and let the peaches cool in syrup while you prepare the crust dough.
- Put the almonds and 1/2 cup sugar in the food-processor bowl and process; add cocoa and flour and blend with the almond powder.
- Drop in the egg white, and process until incorporated.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the butter, and process.
- Clean the sides again; process once more to form a stiff, smooth, and somewhat sticky dough.
- Butter and flour the tart pan.
- Scrape all of the dough into the pan bottom.
- Moisten your fingers with water, and press the dough, spreading it over the pan bottom in an even layer, with a rim of dough up against the fluted side ring.
- Blot up any moisture on the doughfrom your wet fingerswith a sheet of paper towel.
- Arrange a rack in the center of the oven, with a baking stone if you have one, and heat to 375 .
- Spread the apricot jam in an even layer on the dough.
- Cut the cooled peach halves in two, so you have sixteen or twenty wedge-shaped fruit pieces, and place them in a flower-petal pattern, or some other neat arrangement, completely filling the crust.
- Spoon some of the remaining peach syrup all over the fruit.
- Set the tart on a cookie sheet or a sheet of heavy-duty foil (to catch the juices), and bake for 45 minutes, or until the peaches are nicely caramelized and the crust is deeply browned.
- Cool briefly on a wire rack, and separate the side ring from the crust before any caramelized juices are set.
- While the peaches are still warm, drizzle over them the last of the peach syrup, and, if you like, top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or dollops of whipped cream or creme fraiche.
- Serve right away, as the ice cream melts.
peaches, sugar, freshly squeezed lemon juice, almonds, sugar, cocoa powder, flour, egg white, butter, apricot, vanilla ice cream, a skillet, processor, tart pan
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/peach-tart-with-cocoa-almond-crust-384283 (may not work)