Peppered Peach Tarts with Ginger-Caramel Sauce
Tarts:
- 4 ripe peaches
- â…“ cup plus 4 teaspoons sugar
- 4 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 recipe Basic Pastry Dough
- 4 teaspoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions:
Adding black pepper to a classic peach tart gives the dessert an exotic flavor reminiscent of chutney, while the caramel sauce and whipped cream don’t let you forget that you’re eating a sweet dessert.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Dip the peaches into the boiling water for 10 seconds—no longer. If they cook longer, the flesh will begin to bind with the skin, and peeling the peaches will become a nightmare. Immediately immerse the peaches in the ice water.
- When they are cool enough to handle, drain and dry the peaches, then peel them. Cut in half and remove the pits. Cut each peach half into 4 slices. Gently toss the peaches with â…“ cup of the sugar, the flour, and pepper. Set aside.
- Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces and form into disks. Roll each one into a 6-inch circle about ÂĽ inch thick. Put the dough on the sheet pans. Arrange 8 peach slices on the dough, spoke-fashion, leaving a border of 1 inch. Pull up the edges of the dough around the peaches, and crimp. Dot each tart with 1 teaspoon of the butter and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar. Chill the tarts for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Arrange the tarts on a sheet pan (with sides, in case the juices run out during baking). Bake for 40 minutes, or until the peaches are tender and the crusts are golden and crisp. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack.
- While the tarts are baking, make the sauce: Mix the sugar with the water in a heavy saucepan. Add the ginger and cook over medium heat stirring with a metal spoon, until the sugar is golden and caramelized. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool for 30 seconds to avoid the possibility of splattering when you add the butter. Whisk in the butter, making sure it’s thoroughly incorporated. Slowly whisk in ½ cup cream—if you add the cream too fast, the caramel may bubble over, and possibly burn you. Strain to remove the ginger, if desired. Set aside.
- Whip the remaining ½ cup heavy cream in a medium bowl until it stiffens and holds its shape.
- To serve, place each tart on a plate. Zigzag the caramel sauce over each tart and top with a dollop of whipped cream.