The Plat du Jour

fresh peaches in a simple pastry crust

With peaches at their peak, this simple peach tart lets them shine.

Pâte Brisée Sucrée

adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1 by Julia Child.

⅔ cup flour

1 Tbsp sugar

⅛ tsp salt

5½ Tbsp fat: 4 Tbsp chilled butter and 1½ Tbsp shortening

2½ to 3 Tbsp cold water

Food processor method – you may also mix by hand using a pastry blender or a couple of forks

Measure the dry ingredients into the bowl equipped with a steel blade.

Cut the cold butter into ½ Tbsp pieces.  Add the butter and shortening to the flour.

Pulse the machine four or five times.

Measure out the low-end of the cold water.  For an 8″ crust this would be 3¾ Tbsp, for a 10″ crust 5 Tbsp. Turn the machine on and pour the water in all at once; immediately pulse the machine several times until the dough begins to mass on the blade.  If the dough is too dry, add the remaining water a few drops at a time, pulsing a couple of times in between until the dough pulls together.  Do not over mix.

Place the dough on a lightly floured board.  With the heel of one hand (not the palm) rapidly press the pastry by two-spoonful bits down on the board and away from you in a firm, quick smear of about 6 inches.  This constitutes the final blending of fat and flour.

With a scraper or spatula, gather the dough into a mass; knead it briefly into a fairly smooth, round ball.  Sprinkle it lightly with flour, wrap in plastic.  Either place in the freezer for 1 hour or in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.

Because of the high butter content the dough needs to be rolled out quickly.  Place the dough on a lightly floured board (or marble).  If the dough is hard, beat it with a rolling pin to soften it.  Then knead it briefly into a fairly flat circle.  It should be malleable enough to roll without cracking.  Lightly flour the top of the dough then, using firm but gentle pressure roll the dough, turning the dough at a slight angle between each roll.  Roll until you have made a circle large enough for your pan.  The dough must be used immediately once it is rolled out.

Carefully fold the dough into quarters or roll it loosely around your rolling pin to move it to the pan.  Arrange the dough in the pan, trim and crimp the edges.

You can blind bake the shell; partially blind bake it; or fill it and then bake it.  Once the shell is in the pan, if there is a wait before you fill it or put it in the oven, return it to the refrigerator to keep it cold.

Tarte Aux Pêches

adapted from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking

3 to 4 peaches

2/3 c granulated Sugar

1 Tbs butter cut into pea sized dots

Apricot or peach preserves

Drop the fruit into boiling water for 10 to 15 seconds. Peel, halve, and remove pits. Slice the fruit if you wish. Preheat oven to 350 F. Sprinkle 3 Tbs of sugar in the bottom of the pastry shell. If the fruit is sliced, arrange it over the sugar in a closely overlapping layer of concentric circles. If it is halved, place the halves, domed side up, closely together in the shell. Spread on teh rest of the sugar (although if fruit is very ripe, you don’t need all of it). Bake in the middle level of preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until fruit has colored lightly and the juices have become syrupy. You can add a fruit glaze, or enjoy it as it is.

To glaze:  melt a couple of spoons full of the preserves in a small pan or in a measuring cup in the microwave.  Brush the melted glaze all over the tart.