So what are you doing with those fresh peaches from the farmer’s market this summer?
(I’m off in Seattle/Vancouver/Victoria right now and hope to have lots of new ideas to cook up when I get back.)
I missed getting my Fredricksburg peaches last year and this year so I was in search for the best peach I could find. On my way back from Austin one weekend I stopped at Buckee’s Truck Stop (or gas station, or mega everything store). At the checkout, there was a bushel of home grown peaches and they were the most beautiful peaches I have seen in years. The touch was great, the smell was like just picked freshness off some farmer’s tree so I bought a few for this recipe.
You never know what you are going to get in a peach. I have picked up beautiful peaches at the grocery, liked the feel of it in my hand when I gently pressed on it, loved the smell of the peach when I took a big sniff but then when I got home with it, chilled it, got out a big bowl to cut my peach in, only to find when I cut it open it is a mealy, tastless peach. Short of asking for a sample before buying a peach, and I’m likely to do that at a farm stand, I know no other way of finding a perfect peach.
So the sad end to those fresh Buckee’s Truck stop peaches is that I kept putting off making this dessert because I did need someone to eat it. I looked at the peaches each day and the first few days they were smiling back and me saying “we’re ready”. Then I waited, and waited, and waited and when I decided it was time to make it the peaches were in no mood to be made into this nice dessert. They had puckered skin and way beyond looking pretty in their pink skins. So I ate them.
Finally when I decided to get this dessert made, I bought a flat of peaches from Trader Joe’s. They are beautiful and taste wonderful but I will never know the true goodness of those first peaches I had bought at Buckee’s.
(Note: I do not know where this recipe came from. I usually give credit where credit is due unless I totally change a recipe. This one had been in my files for “make for the blog” for quite some time.)
BLAST FROM THE PAST: While you can still either pick blackberries or buy some very good ones in the market,you should try my Blackberry French Toast.
Pink champagne and sugar goes into the pot.
My peaches turned out not to be “freestone” so I had to put the whole peach in to poach.
After your peaches have cooled, slice and set aside.
After you have removed the peaches and reduced the liquid down by half, add the raspberries and simmer for 15 minutes. Be careful that it doesn’t burn.
Unfold the puffed pastry and roll out a little so you can cut 6 rectangles.
After cutting into 2 rectangles, brush each with a little milk then sprinkle with sugar (I used turbino sugar.
Break until brown and puffed. I pierced mine a few times if I thought they were getting too big.
After the rectangles have cooled, spread each with some of the marscapone cheese and top with sliced peaches fanned out. Sprinkle with more of the sugar and put back in the oven.
About 5 minutes before removing from oven I sprinkled with the chopped pistachio nuts.
Peach Tarts with Raspberry Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 Peaches halved fresh and still firm, peeled and pitted
- 1 c. sugar
- 1/2 bottle brut rose sparkling wine pink champagne
- 1 c. fresh raspberries
- milk to brush pastry
- 1/2 c. marscapone cheese
- 1/2 pkg. Puffed Pastry Sheets
- 1/2 c. pistachios chopped
Instructions
- In a two-quart saucepan, bring sparkling wine and sugar to a boil and add peach halves. Return to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove peaches from liquid and cool to room temperature. Reduce liquid by one half, add raspberries and simmer for about 15 minutes. Puree raspberries and liquid and set aside to cool.
- On a floured surface roll out puff pastry until you can get six equal rectangles, brush with milk and sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar. Bake pastry at 350 degrees until golden brown. Cool. (I pierced mine a few times because I didn't want them really puffed up.)
- After all ingredients are cool, place marscapone in the center of each pastry, equally distributed. Slice peaches and fan slightly. Place fans over marscapone and sprinkle with sugar (raw sugar if available). Sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Place pastries on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes at 425 degrees. Serve with raspberries sauce drizzled over the top and dust with powdered sugar.
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