Monday, October 26, 2009

Peach and Berry Tart


I just have this to say to pie crusts…I don’t like you.  I like to eat you, but I don’t like to make you.  This recipe saves me from another pie crust failure.  This dough behaves every time and since you don’t line a pie pan with dough, it makes me happy.

Crust:
½ cup flour
6 T. unsalted butter, cut in ¼” cubes
¼ t. salt
4 T. ice water, divided to 2T & 2T

Filling:
4 firm peaches or nectarines, peeled and sliced
1 cup fresh raspberries
½ c. fresh blueberries

Streusel Topping:
3 T. butter
½ c. sugar
¼ c. flour
¼ t. cinnamon

Sprinkle:
1 T. butter, melted, 
for brushing crust

1 T. sugar and 1/8 t. cinnamon, combined

1.  In a large bowl combine flour, butter and salt.  Mix well.  Add 2 T. ice water. Mix well.  Add remaining 2 T. water and blend well.  Gather dough by hand and knead briefly.   Press is a circular flat shape.
2.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3.  Roll dough to a circle 12” in diameter on a floured surface.  Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4.  In a small bowl combine all streusel ingredients.  Mix with pastry blender until texture resembles coarse crumbs.  Sprinkle 3 T. streusel mixture in center of the   
pastry.  Leave a 1 ½ inch boarder.
5.  Continuing to leave a 1 ½ inch boarder arrange peach or nectarine slices evenly in overlapping circles.
6.  Top fruit with raspberries and blueberries.
7.  Sprinkle remaining streusel mixture over fruit only.
8.  Fold 1 ½ inch border up over the edge of the tart. 
9.  Brush border with melted butter and sprinkle with combined sugar and cinnamon.
10. Bake in preheated 400-degree oven for 35 minutes.
11.  Cool on rack 20 minutes.
12.  Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream if desired.