I made this tart for myself on fathers day because I was craving pie with vanilla ice cream. Since southern peaches are starting to creep up to the northeast I figure I make a peach tart.
To keep the crust from getting soggy, I baked the crust by itself and cooked the peaches on a 12" frying pan. I then assembled the tart before service after everything is cool.
Make sure to read the recipes before using them and have all of your ingredients measured and ready to go before starting.
To Make the Sweet Tart Crust
1 1/4 cups of all purpose unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (cut to 1/4 if using already grated, which is, IMO, not worth using)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very cold
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup very cold water
Put the flour, salt, sugar, and spices in a Cuisinart food processor and pulse until combined. Cut the butter into tablespoon sizes (into 8 pieces) and add to the flour. Pulse 15-18 times until the mixture resembles very coarse meal (don't overdo it). Whisk the yolk into the water and add through the food processor shoot while pulsing until the dough comes together slightly.
Put the mixture in a gallon sized plastic bag and briefly press together with your hands from the outside. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
Remember that you want to work the dough the least possible. The more you work the dough, the less flaky and more doughy it will be. This is because as you knead, you promote the formation of gluten strands. This is why you want to do the opposite when making bread (you WANT to knead your bread dough).
When the dough is cold, roll to 1/8" inch and put in a french tart pan (removable bottom). Put a piece of foil on top and pie weights (or beans) and bake in a preheated 350F oven for 40 minutes. Remove the pie weights and foil, pierce the bottom with a fork a few times (to allow bottom steam to come out and not create bubbles) and bake an additional 10-20 minutes until slightly brown. Watch out, don't burn it!
Cool on wire rack and remove from tart pan when cool.
To Make the Peaches
3 lb ripe but firm peaches (make sure the stem area does not have a green tinge)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Amaretto liqueor (Disaronno)
Peel and slice the peaches into wedges. Mix with sugar and cinnamon and cook on 12" frying pan on medium heat. When peach wedges are soft (but not falling apart), strain from the cooking syrup. Add the Amaretto liqueor and continue cooking the syrup until thickens. This might take 20 more minutes. It might bubble so watch it. Also, you don't want it to cook over 240F or it will burn quickly. You don't need a thermometer, just watch it.
Let the peaches and teh syrup cool to room temperature separately.
To Assemble the Tart
Arrange each peach wedge in whatever fashion you like on the tart and the pour (or brush) some of the syrup on top. You migth have to warm the syrup a little if it is too thick to pour or brush. Enjoy with vanilla ice cream.
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