Elizabeth Hewson’s peach pie recipe
Few things beat the pleasures of ripe peaches. This tart makes the most of the summer harvest.
Few things beat the simple pleasure of biting into a perfectly ripe peach. Picture one brimming with a honey fragrance, its weighty flesh dripping with juice. The purest pleasure unfolds outdoors, beneath the warm summer sun. As you lean over and sink your teeth into the vibrant, sunset-coloured flesh, the sweet nectar dribbles down your chin and arms. This, my friends, is the epitome of peach perfection.
Finding perfectly ripe peaches at the store can be tricky, and carrying them home can be nerve-wracking – they don’t say “bruise like a peach” for nothing. To ensure you enjoy a peach at its peak, let it ripen on your kitchen counter. Their weight and fragrance are the key indicators they are ready to eat. Despite being broadly labelled as white or yellow, there are many varieties, each with unique flavours, hues and sizes, as well as degrees of ease for how the flesh comes away from the stone (clingstone versus slipstone).
This tart is made up of three components – the peaches, which are macerated to help draw out their peachiness, a vanilla-spiked, billowy mascarpone cream, and a crumbly tart shell. Rather than wrestling with a buttery pastry in the height of summer, I opt for a blitz and chill, no-fuss biscuit base. If this is even too much for you (I get it, it’s January), skipping the base altogether works just fine – the peaches and cream alone create a heavenly dessert.
I like to slice the peaches and arrange them on top, but chopping them up in chunks tastes just as wonderful. I usually prepare the base and peaches ahead, then whip the cream and assemble the tart a few hours or so before serving. The peaches can macerate in the fridge for a few hours or even overnight, producing more syrup with time. Reserve the syrup for drizzling over slices. Make sure the tart stays in the fridge until ready to eat – this tart, like me, doesn’t fare well in the heat.
Peaches and cream tart
I have used a 27cm by 5.5cm deep pie dish with a removable base for this recipe, allowing for layers of cream and peach. If your dish is shallow, adjust quantities accordingly.
Ingredients
For the base
- 500g digestive biscuits
- 200g unsalted butter, melted
- For the peaches
- 1kg ripe, yellow peaches (roughly 5)
- 50g (1/4 cup) caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- Pinch of salt
For the cream
- 250ml thickened cream
- 40g (1/4 cup) icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 250g mascarpone, softened
Method
- To prepare the base, blitz the biscuits in a food processor until they resemble fine crumbs. Alternatively, place them in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Ensure the crumbs resemble sand for an even consistency (otherwise you risk the base being too crumbly).
- In a bowl, combine the crumbs with melted butter using a wooden spoon until the mixture clumps together. Tip the mixture into pie tin, spreading it evenly with the back of a spoon. Use a straight-sided glass to press the crumbs firmly into the sides and base of the tin for an even finish.
- Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow butter to set. This step can be done up to 3 days ahead.
- To prepare the peaches, thinly slice them, or cut them into chunks. In a bowl, combine peaches with sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Gently toss. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or until needed.
- To assemble the tart, in a mixing bowl, combine thickened cream, icing sugar and vanilla. Whisk the cream until stiff peaks form, then gently fold in the softened mascarpone. To release the tart from the tin, balance it on a steady glass or tin and gently ease down the sides.
- Spread half of the cream mixture onto the bottom of the tart and level it out. Using a slotted spoon, arrange a third of the peaches on top of the cream in a single layer. Add the remaining cream and then arrange the remaining peaches on top. Drizzle a spoonful of peach juice over the tart for a nice shine, reserving the remaining juice to serve with slices. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
Serves 6-8