Little peach tarts

Hello everyone,

I had a minor panic with my computer yesterday when the screen wouldn’t come on. All I could think was that I wouldn’t be able to get out this week’s recipe! Fortunately with a good night’s sleep the computer came back to life so all is well.

I’m sending you a recipe for dear little peach tarts that I love using at this time of year when the peaches are all rosy and juicy. You can serve these very elegantly at home with cream and icecream, but they are also very portable and easy to take on picnics. Don’t be put off by the pastry – you don’t have to make it yourself, all you have to do is roll it out and cut it. These tarts are surprisingly simple for the effect they have.

Enjoy!

Best of luck to Dan, one of those who inspired this recipe service and whose first baby is due very soon!

Love from Jane xx


Little peach tarts

(from Simple Food by Jill Dupleix)
Serves 4 or 8, depending on how much people want to eat.

What you need:
· 4 large, firm, ripe peaches
· 500g packet ready rolled puff pastry
· 1 egg, beaten
· 2 tablespoons runny honey
· 1 tablespoon butter, softened
· 1 extra tablespoon runny honey, to serve

What you do:
1. Heat the oven to 200C.
2. Peel the peaches by cutting a small cross at the base of each peach, sitting them in a bowl and pouring over boiling water. Leave them to sit for about two minutes then drain and the skin will peel easily. I do this during the week so I can have fresh peeled slices of peach on my breakfast yoghurt.
3. Halve the peaches, cutting around the side of the stone.
4. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface (if you don’t have enough bench space you could do this on a tray) and cut out eight circles, about 10cm in diameter. Place on sheets of baking paper on baking trays and brush with beaten egg. Whatever you do, don’t use foil as the honey will stick like glue.
5. Place a peach half, cut side down, on top of each pastry round.
6. Drizzle the peaches with a little honey and dot with butter.
7. Bake for around 20 minutes until the peaches are soft and the pastry is risen and lightly scorched.
8. Using a warm spoon, drizzle the extra honey over each peach, which will glaze it beautifully.
9. Serve warm or at room temperature with cream and/or icecream (or even on their own they are lovely).