Gluten Free & Dairy Free Peach & Pistachio Tarte Tatin
I love this dessert. The gluten free pastry works wonderfully well with the caramelised fruit, keeping a crispness on the outside and a soft crumbliness on the inside. And the aromas from the fruit when this comes out of the oven are gorgeous! And, while it looks impressive, it’s really simple to make. For this recipe – which you’ll find in my new book, The Ultimate Gluten Free, Dairy Free Collection – I’ve used peaches instead of the classic apples, both to make a change but also because the peaches bring such a delicious sweetness to the dish. And I’ve also used ground pistachios instead of almonds, to give the flavour a little kick. This is a recipe you can prep ahead, by making the pasty beforehand, perhaps the night before. And then all you have to do is caramelise the peaches, roll out the pastry, and then bake. Hey presto!
- For the Pastry:
- 150g/5½oz/1 cup Gluten Free Sweet Shortcrust Pastry Mix, plus extra as needed
- 50g/1¾oz/½ cup finely ground shelled, unsalted pistachios
- 50g/1¾oz/¼ cup caster (superfine) sugar
- 80g/2¾oz/5½ tbsp dairy free margarine, chilled and chopped into pieces
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 75g/2¾oz/5 tbsp dairy free margarine
- 100g/3½oz/½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 6 peaches, stoned and quartered
- Gluten Free Sweet Shortcrust Pastry Mix, for dusting
- unsalted pistachios, shelled and chopped, for sprinkling
- To make the pastry, put the sweet shortcrust pastry mix and the ground pistachios in a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and mix together well. Add the margarine and blend until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg and blend for 20–30 seconds until the mixture comes together to form a sticky dough. If it is too dry, gradually blend in 1–2 tablespoons chilled water. If it is too sticky, add a little extra sweet shortcrust pastry mix.
- Shape the pastry into a ball, wrap it in cling film (plastic wrap) and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Gently heat the margarine in a 20cm/8in heavy-based oven-proof frying pan until melted. Sprinkle the sugar over, then arrange the peach quarters in the pan in one layer. Cook over a gentle heat for 20–30 minutes until the peaches are soft and golden and the liquid has caramelized. Remove from the heat.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7. Liberally dust a chopping board with sweet shortcrust pastry mix and, using a rolling pin, gently roll out the pastry to a round that is slightly larger than the frying pan. Be careful as the pastry will still be slightly sticky. Trim the pastry neatly into a circle with a sharp knife, then carefully lift or ease the pastry with a spatula and place it on top of the frying pan, completely covering the peaches and tucking the excess down the side of the peaches, if you need to.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 20–25 minutes until the pastry is golden. Remove the tart from the oven and leave to cool in the pan for 2 minutes. Place a serving plate, upside down, over the top of the pan, then, holding the pan and plate together, turn them over so that the tart turns out onto the serving plate with the caramelized peaches on top. (Be very careful and use oven gloves as the pan will still be very hot.) Liberally sprinkle over the chopped pistachios. Serve warm or cold.
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