Palisade Peach Tart

Colorado summers are made sweeter with Palisade peaches that are grown and  harvested in the western part of our state.

Farmers markets, grocery stores, and even street corner vendors have piles of these fruit jewels for sale.  We’ve baked fruit crisps and made ice cream that feature Palisade peaches, but this tart offers a new way to use fresh peaches as the topping of a lovely summer dessert.

I found the inspiration for this tart in an article entitled, “French Vegetarian Menus” by Susan Herrmann Loomis in the August 1989 issue of Bon Appétit.  Loomis, who went on to write The French Farmhouse Cookbook and several other cookbooks, still teaches cooking classes in France.  

While Loomis’s recipe called for making a rolled-out flour crust for six individual tarts, I decided to use a graham cracker crust and create one 9-inch tart.  The graham cracker crust–with only three ingredients– is quick to put together. Its crunch is a perfect counterpart to the creamy filling and fresh fruit.

The tangy filling for the tart has only four ingredients and comes together in just a few minutes.  While Loomis suggested 3-4 tablespoons of sugar, I opted for the lower amount and found it to be just right. After mixing the yogurt, brown sugar, and vanilla together, I found it helpful to whisk it again after a while to distribute the dissolving sugar more thoroughly.  A simple half cup of whipping cream beats up into creamy peaks quite quickly. By slowly folding the whipped cream into the yogurt base, you create an airy filling for the tart.

The summer crown of this tart is made of fresh fruit.  After peeling and pitting the peaches, I sliced the peach halves thinly and placed the slices in a decorative pattern atop the tart. 

Garnishing with a few fresh berries brought more color and flavor to the tart. While I used Palisade peaches alongside raspberries and blackberries, I feel this tart could be topped with almost any soft summer fruit. 

We ate slices of tart for dessert as another summer day ended. We loved the way that the crunchy tart shell played against the creamy, yet tangy filling, and the unadorned fruit.  

Palisade Peach Tart

Sunnyside Cook

Dawn Dobie

Fresh peaches atop a creamy tangy filling and crunchy crust create a great summer dessert.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

Crust

• 9 graham crackers broken in pieces
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter melted

Filling

• 1 cup plain yogurt I used whole fat
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whipping cream

Topping

• 2-3 fresh peaches
• 1/3 cup fresh berries

Instructions

 

For crust

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Combine crackers and sugar in food processor. Blend with on/off pulses until fine crumbs are formed.
• Pour butter into food processor. Pulse 4-5 more times to completely combine mixture.
• Press crumbs into 9-inch tart tin with removable bottom, creating rim about 1 inch tall and an even bottom crust. Place tin on cookie sheet.
• Bake crust for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Cool completely on wire rack.

For filling

• Using whisk, combine yogurt, brown sugar and vanilla in medium bowl. Place bowl in refrigerator while working on next step.
• Place whipping cream in medium size bowl and beat until soft peaks form.
• Whisk yogurt mixture to ensure that all brown sugar has dissolved and is distributed throughout.
• Fold 1/3 of whipped cream into yogurt mixture, trying to keep as much lightness as possible.
• Fold remaining 2/3 of whipped cream into yogurt base.
• Spoon filling into tart crust.

To finish

• Peel and pit peaches. Slice into 1/8-1/4 inch crescents. Place on top of filling, starting at outer edge and then doing center. Garnish with berries.

Notes

Crust can be made several hours ahead. Make sure crust is cool before adding filling. Filled crust can be refrigerated for 1-2 hours. Top with fruit right before serving.
If using already prepared graham cracker crumbs, substitute 1 1/2 cups of crumbs (for the crackers) and stir the crumbs to combine with sugar and then melted butter.
Other fresh fruits can be substituted for the peaches and berries.

Adapted from Susan Herrmann Loomis in Bon Appétit (August 1989)