Rustic Honey-Peach Tart

prepared by and photo by Emily Doscher

One of my go-to desserts of the summer season. Love, love, love this tart. Take advantage of all of those plump, ripe, juicy peaches out there!  Feel free to mix up with both traditional and white peaches.  (This is best served the first evening.) Don’t forget to serve a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside!

Ingredients:
1 TART CRUST:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
10 tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 large egg yolks
1 tbsp cold water
FILLING:
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/4 lb fresh ripe peaches (about 5 medium), halved, pitted, thinly sliced
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled
Vanilla ice cream (optional)

TART CRUST:  Mix flour, powdered sugar and salt in processor.  Add butter; process until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Mix egg yolks and water in small bowl.  Add to flour mixture and process until moist clumps form.

Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk for round tart.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.  (Can be prepared 3 days ahead.  Keep refrigerated.  Let dough soften briefly at room temperature before rolling out.)

FILLING:  Preheat oven to 440F.  Roll out tart crust dough on flour work surface to 13″ round.  Slide 10″ diameter tart pan bottom or bottom of 10″ diameter springform pan under dough.  Mix 2 tbsp sugar and flour in small bowl.  Sprinkle over tart curst, leaving 2″ border.  Arrange sliced peaches in concentric circles atop sugar mixture in crust, leaving 2″ border.  Drizzle peaches with honey.  Gently fold pastry edges up around peaches.  Brush edges of crust with melted better.  Sprinkle crust and peaches with 1 tbsp sugar.

Place tart (on tart pan bottom) on heavy large baking sheet with rim.  Bake tart until crust is golden and peaches are tender, about 35 minutes.  Transfer baking sheet to rack.  Using pastry brush, brush any juices from center of tart over peaches crust.  Cool tart 20 minutes.  Transfer tart (on bottom) to platter.  Cut tart into wedges.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream if desired.