This makes use of the lovely fresh peaches which are in season at the moment but at other times canned ones can be substituted.
The soured cream makes a delicious custard and is simple to make.
You will need a 20cm / 8in tart tin with a loose base or a flan dish.
Ingredients:
Pastry
- 175g (6oz) plain flour
- 75g (3oz) butter
- 25g (1oz) lard or white fat
- 25g (1oz) caster sugar
- cold water to mix
Filling
- 6 fresh peaches
- 300ml (10 fl oz) carton soured cream
- 3 egg yolks
- 25g (1oz) caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons Demerara sugar
Method:
Grease the tin or dish.
Pastry: Rub the fats into the flour, stir in the sugar. Mix with just enough cold water to make a firm dough (about 4 teaspoons) Wrap and leave in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes Heat the oven to Gas 4 / 180C / 350F.
Skin the peaches: put them in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for a few minutes then transfer to cold water. The skins should then peel away.
Cut in halves then into even sized pieces.
Roll out the pastry, keeping it circular and line the tin or dish. Press in a piece of foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil.
Mix together the soured cream, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla extract. Pour into the pastry case and place the peach pieces evenly on top. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle on the Demerara sugar.
Raise the oven temperature to Gas 8 / 250C / 450F and bake for a further 5 minutes Leave in the tin before removing from it.
Serve either warm or cold.
Note: The egg whites can be frozen for use later