Peach & Cream Tart

Ingredients

Tart Crust

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup cold butter, cut into cubes

1 large egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Pastry Cream Filling

4 egg yolks

3 tbs. flour

2 tbs. sugar

1 1/2 cup milk

Vanilla Meringue

4 egg whites

4 tbs. sugar

1/2 tbs. vanilla

Instructions

Tart Crust

In a large bowl combine the flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Using a pastry cutter, add in the cubed butter and cut into the mixture until it resembles a coarse meal. With a large spatula, add in the egg and vanilla until well incorporated and the dough rolls up into a ball. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set it in the fridge for an hour to chill.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once the dough has chilled, roll it out over a flour-covered surface until the dough is evenly rolled out and fits an 8-inch tart pan. Make sure to not roll out too thin or the crust will come apart after baking.

Place some pie weights over the crust and place in the oven to bake for 15 minutes or until the crust begins to have a golden brown color. Allow the crust to cool for 20 minutes or completely before filling.

Pastry Cream

In a small saucepan, pour in the milk and set at medium heat, allowing the milk to come to a low simmer.

In a small bowl add the flour, sugar, and egg yolks. Whisk until the mixture is fully incorporated and is a thick and creamy consistency.

Once the milk has begun simmering, stir in the vanilla. Then. slowly pour half of the milk into the egg mixture while continuously whisking to prevent the eggs from scrambling up. Once that is whisked in, transfer the pan back to the stove and slowly add the egg-milk mixture into the remaining milk in the saucepan while whisking. Keep the heat at a medium to medium-low temperature and continuously whisk the mixture until it thickens to a pudding-like consistency.

Remove from the heat and pour the pastry cream into a bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the cream, making sure there are no air pockets to prevent the cream from forming a skin. Allow to cool in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Vanilla Meringue

In a mixing stand or with a hand mixer, begin whisking the egg whites on high. When they begin to form a foam, add in 1 tbs. of sugar and the vanilla. Allow the whites to continue whipping and slowly add the remaining sugar. Whisk the whites until they are fluffy and can form soft peaks that hold their shape with the whisk.

Filling the Tart

Once the cream and crust are cooled, begin filling by spreading an even coat of peach preserve over the bottom of the tart crust. Then, spread the pastry cream over the peach preserve in a thick layer and spread evenly completely covering the preserve. Finally, cover the top with the vanilla meringue spreading evenly with a spatula. It's ok if it looks a little rustic.

Place the tart in the fridge for another 30 minutes before serving to chill. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and enjoy this refreshing dessert.