I stepped away from the blog for a short break — visiting family and cat-sitting in London — and while I meant to keep up with replies, the warm weather and time away made that difficult. I didn’t stop baking, though, and I’m excited to share the first of several summery bakes: these peach, pistachio and rose tarts.
Fruit is abundant right now and I can’t get enough of it — expect a stream of fruity recipes. I’ve been eating at least one peach a day, so baking with them was inevitable. My initial idea was classic peach frangipane tarts, but I wanted a slightly more exotic twist: almonds were swapped for pistachios and a touch of rosewater was added. The result is fragrant and summery, with a subtle Middle Eastern note — perfect for a warm evening.
These tarts are straightforward to make, but are best eaten the same day — over time peach juices can make the pastry slightly soggy. You can prepare the pastry and blind-bake the cases a day ahead, and the frangipane keeps in the fridge for a couple of days (bring it to room temperature before using), so with a bit of prep they come together quickly. Be cautious with the rosewater — a little goes a long way; use no more than 1/8 tsp. I finished mine with chopped pistachios and freeze-dried raspberry pieces; crystallised rose petals would also look beautiful if you have them.
Peach, Pistachio & Rose Tarts
Ingredients
Pastry
- 100 g (¾ cup + 2tbsp) plain flour
- 60 g (¼ cup) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 20 g (¼ cup) icing sugar
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 egg yolk
Filling
- 40 g (1.5 oz) pistachios
- 25 g (scant ¼ cup) ground almonds
- 50 g (scant ¼ cup) softened butter
- 40 g (scant ¼ cup) caster sugar
- 1 medium egg
- 10 g honey 1 tsp
- 1.5 tbsp plain flour
- ⅛ tsp rosewater
- 2 peaches ripe but firm
- 1 tsp sugar
To Finish
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- 25 g (1 oz) chopped pistachios
- freeze dried raspberry pieces
Instructions
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Mix the flour, icing sugar and salt in a bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs (or pulse in a food processor). Add the egg yolk and bring the mixture together into a soft dough, adding a little ice water if needed. Shape into a disc, wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least 30 minutes.
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Divide the pastry into four equal pieces. Roll each piece on a lightly floured surface and line four 10cm round tart tins, pressing the pastry into the corners. Fold the excess pastry over the rim but don’t trim it. Prick each base a couple of times with a fork, then freeze for 15–30 minutes.
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Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Line the tart cases with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes, remove the paper and beans, then bake for another 5 minutes until the pastry is pale golden. Remove from the oven and let cool while you make the filling.
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Pulse the pistachios in a food processor until finely ground. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the honey, egg and flour. Fold in the ground pistachios, ground almonds and rosewater.
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Halve, stone and peel the peaches. Divide the pistachio filling among the pastry cases and press a peach half, cut side down, onto each tart. Sprinkle a little sugar over the peaches.
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Bake for 15–20 minutes, until the frangipane is set (a skewer should come out clean). Cool in the tins for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Warm the tablespoon of honey until runny and brush over the tops of the tarts. Scatter chopped pistachios and freeze-dried raspberry pieces around the edges.
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Serve soon after baking — they are at their best the same day.
Notes
I’m sharing these tarts with a few blogging events and link parties. They’re simple to make, fragrant and ideal for summer entertaining — enjoy them slightly warm or at room temperature for the best texture and flavour.