Peach Tart with Puff Pastry
Juicy, golden peach slices fanned across a flaky, buttery pastry base, finished with a shimmer of apricot glaze. This showstopper takes less than 45 minutes to pull together using store-bought puff pastry.
Equipment
- Rimmed Baking Sheet - half-sheet pan
- Parchment paper - or silicone baking mat
- Sharp paring knife - for scoring the pastry
- Pastry brush - for egg wash and glaze
- Mixing bowl - medium size
- Rolling Pin - optional, to gently even out pastry
- Small saucepan - for warming the glaze
- Wire cooling rack - for resting the finished tart
Ingredients
- 1 sheet store-bought puff pastry - about 9x9 inches, thawed
- 3 medium ripe peaches - about 450g, pitted and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar - 36g
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice - 15ml
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon - 1.5g
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter - 14g, cut into small pieces
- 1 large egg - beaten with 1 teaspoon water for egg wash
- 2 tablespoons apricot jam - 30ml, or peach preserves for glaze
- 1 tablespoon water - 15ml, to thin the glaze
- powdered sugar - for dusting, optional
Instructions
- Thaw puff pastry according to package directions. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Wash peaches and slice into 1/4-inch thick pieces. In a bowl, combine peach slices with brown sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Toss gently and set aside to macerate for 5-10 minutes.
- Unfold puff pastry onto parchment-lined baking sheet. Score a shallow 1-inch border around all four edges. Prick the inner rectangle all over with a fork to dock the pastry.
- Drain any excess liquid from peaches. Arrange peach slices inside the scored border in slightly overlapping rows. Scatter small butter pieces evenly over the peaches.
- Whisk egg and water together. Brush the egg wash over the scored border only, avoiding the scored line itself to ensure proper rising.
- Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 18-22 minutes until pastry is puffed and deep golden brown and peaches are soft and caramelized. Tent edges with foil if browning too quickly.
- While tart bakes, warm apricot jam with water in a small saucepan over low heat until smooth and pourable. Remove tart from oven and brush warm glaze generously over peach slices.
- Transfer tart to a wire rack and cool for at least 10 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar if desired, slice into 6-8 portions, and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Keep pastry cold: If pastry gets too soft while working, refrigerate for 10 minutes before proceeding. Cold pastry puffs better.
- Drain peaches well: Excess juice makes pastry soggy. Drain macerated peaches before arranging on the tart.
- Don't overfill: Keep peaches in a single layer inside the border to ensure the pastry cooks through properly.
- Score confidently: The border score should be shallow and clean, cutting through only the top layer of pastry, not all the way through.
- Canned peach option: Use peaches packed in juice, drain thoroughly, pat dry, and reduce brown sugar by half. Skip the macerating step.
- Frozen peach option: Thaw frozen slices completely, drain well, and pat dry with paper towels before using.
- Make ahead: Assemble tart up to 2 hours ahead and refrigerate. Apply glaze just before serving for the best appearance.
- Reheating: Reheat slices in a toaster oven or conventional oven at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. Avoid the microwave to keep pastry crisp.
- Variation: Spread a thin layer of vanilla pastry cream or sweetened cream cheese under the peaches before baking for an extra rich dessert.
- Freezing unbaked tart: Freeze assembled tart (without egg wash) on a baking sheet, then transfer to a bag. Bake from frozen, adding 5-7 minutes.