Peach Custard Tarts

What do you do when you have a bag full of delicious ripe peaches ?

Make them even more delicious by placing them in tart shells and enrobing them in sweet custard!

Just scrumptious!

The subtle sweetness of the custard wonderfully compliments the ripe peach flavour.

A great summer dessert for an August night.

The crumble on top is a delightful touch, too!

They were irresistible when fresh out of the oven, both the custard and peach were soft and warm.

They weren't too shabby after cooling either ;)

Here's a warm tart just waiting to be eaten.

Crunchy and Custardy Peach Tart

adapted from Sweet Tarte by way of Tender Crumb

For the Streusel

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar

2 tablespoons chopped almonds (omitted)

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

For the Filling

3 large ripe peaches, halved, pitted and peeled*

1/2 cup heavy cream (we substituted 1% canned milk to make them a little less indulgent)

1 large egg

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

To Make the Streusel: Working with your fingertips, blend all the ingredients together in a small bowl until evenly combined. Cover the streusel tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until needed.

Getting Ready to Bake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.

To Make the Tart: Slice 5 of the peach halves crosswise. The best way to do this is to place each peach half cut side down on a cutting board and slice it crosswise into thin slices, keeping the sliced half intact. Then lift each half on a spatula, press down on the half lightly to fan it just a bit and place it in the crust, with the edge of the outer peach slices almost touching the edge of the crust, so that you have 5 peach "spokes" and an empty space in the center. Trim the remaining unsliced peach half so it will fit into the center of the tart and, using the tip of your knife, cut a little tic-tac-toe pattern in the center of the peach. Set aside while you make the creamy filling.

Whisk the cream, egg, sugar and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. When blended, rap the bowl on the counter to knock out the air bubbles, and pour the filling over and around the peaches.

Bake the tart for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

Remove the streusel from the refrigerator and the tarts from the oven. Using your fingers, break the streusel up into small bits. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the creamy parts of the tarts.

Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the filling is set and the streusel is golden. Remove the tarts from the oven and transfer the pans to a rack to cool until barely warm or at room temperature.

The Crust
adapted from Eclectic Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Method
Press into tart pans and prick with fork. Pre-bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.