Peach & Pistachio Tart

TART DOUGH

Adapted from David Lebovitz

1. Preheat the oven to 410º F / 210º C. Grease a 9” tart pan with a removable bottom with butter or baking spray.

2. Add the butter, oil, water, sugar, and salt (not the flour!) to a medium-sized ovenproof bowl, such as a Pyrex. Mix slightly with a fork. The mixture will be lumpy and not at all homogenous; this is expected.

3. In a separate bowl, measure out the flour.

4. Place the bowl with the butter in the oven. Bake until the butter bubbles and starts to brown on the edges, 10-20 minutes. Keep a close eye on the oven during this time.

5. When you see specks of brown around the edges of the bowl, carefully remove the bowl from the oven. Quickly dump in the flour and stir until the mixture forms a uniform ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

6. Using a spoon, scoop out a 1-inch ball of dough and set it aside for step 8. Press the remaining dough into the greased tart pan using a silicone spatula or your hands. The crust will be pretty thin. Once the dough has cooled sufficiently, use your thumb to press it up the sides to a height of about 1 inch. 

7. Using a fork, make prick marks all over the bottom of the crust.

8. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown on the bottom and sides (a browned crust is a flavorful crust!).

9. Take the tart out of the oven. Don’t be alarmed if there are cracks–that’s what the reserved dough is for. Pinch small amounts of dough between your fingers and reinforce the cracks. It’s fine if you don’t have enough to patch it up entirely, as the filling is dense and won’t leak.

10. Allow the crust to cool to room temperature before filling. If necessary, you can speed up this process by transferring it to the fridge or freezer.

PISTACHIO FILLING

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C.

2. Pulse the pistachios, flour, and sugar in a food processor until they reach the texture of coarse sand. Add the cubed butter and continue pulsing until roughly combined. Finally, add the egg and continue running the machine until the filling is uniform. If you’d like to add green food coloring, now is the time to do it. Add one drop at a time, pulsing until uniform to check the color after each drop. Spread filling evenly across the base of the cooled tart crust.

3. Using a paring knife, cut the peaches in half, then slice into 1/8 (3mm) half-donuts. Overlap the slices on top of the pistachio filling to create a large ring around the very edge of the tart, flush with the crust. Repeat with a smaller ring in the middle of the tart, leaving a 1-2” gap between the rings. Finally, take a few very thin slices, bend them into “U” shapes, and nestle them together in the center, peel-side up, to form a flower-like shape.

4. Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the pistachio filling comes out clean.

5. Move the tart to a rack and cool to room temperature in the pan. If you’d like, you can speed this up in the fridge or freezer. If not serving immediately, cover the pan with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge for up to 3 days, or to the freezer for longer storage (see tips). 

6. Just before serving, squeeze the yuzu or lemon juice into a bowl, then brush over the filling for a final burst of brightness. Gently release the tart from the pan and cut into slices using a serrated knife. For an extra touch, serve à la mode with a scoop of pistachio gelato or vanilla ice cream.