Medieval Red Wine Peach Tart

Ingredients

Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into small pieces
4 - 5 tablespoons ice water

Filling:
5 peaches (4 cups)
1/4 cup red wine
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp salt

Thickened cream to serve.

Method

Crust:
Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl and stir briefly until the mixture is aerated. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it’s in pea-size pieces that are slightly yellow in colour.

Drizzle in 4 tablespoons of the ice water and mix just until the dough comes together. (Add the last tablespoon of ice water if necessary, but don’t overwork the dough or it’ll become tough.)

Shape the dough into a flat disk, cover it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Spread dough out onto greased baking tray and pinch edges up. Blind bake crust - place a loose sheet of baking paper on top of the dough and hold down with rice or ceramic oven weights to keep dough flat. Bake for 10-15 mins on high to cook crust slightly before using in tart.

Peach filling:
Peel peaches, remove pits, and slice. Partially boil in water until just tender. Drain peaches well and place in pie crust.

Make syrup of sugar, spices, and wine. Pour over peaches and cover with a sheet of al-foil. Bake at 220°C for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 180°C and bake until done, about 20-30 minutes more.

Serve hot or cold with a generous dollop of thick cream.

Credits: Daniel Myers

Photo Credits: Michael Lewicki