© Rina Nurra / Candi Presse

Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes at 400°F (200°C) + 40 minutes at 420°F (210°C) + 10 minutes at 400°F (200°C)


Ingredients for 6 to 8 people 

- 250g sweet pastry, or pastry case
- 6 white peaches
- 20g butter
- 50g pine nuts
- 6 tablespoons brown or Demerera sugar  

For confectioner’s custard:
- 150ml milk
- ½ vanilla pod
- 20g caster sugar
- 1 large egg or two smaller ones
- 20g flour
- 15g butter
- 20ml Amaretto
- 80g ground almonds


Recipe

Make custard:

Gently boil milk with the vanilla pod, snapped in two.  Beat caster sugar and egg in a large bowl until white and foamy.
 
Add flour, mix well and pour in milk after removing vanilla pod.
 
Pour into saucepan and heat gently, stirring constantly until cream thickens and comes away from the sides of the pan.   Remove from heat and add butter in small chunks, continuing to stir, to avoid developing a skin during cooling.  Once the cream is lukewarm, add Amaretto and stir in almonds.  
 
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C), then grease a tart dish.     Roll out pastry to a thickness of around 3mm and line dish.   Prick tart with a fork, then cut a circle of baking paper, place it in the bottom of the tart, then bake blind in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes with a few heavy beans or lentils.
 
Meanwhile, peel and slice the peaches.  
 
Remove the tart dish and turn up the heat in the oven, to 420°F (210°C).  Remove paper and beans, then pour in a thick layer of Amaretto cream, spreading smoothly.

Arrange the peach slices on the cream in a flower spiral, then sprinkle with pine nuts and brown sugar.  

Put the tart in the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 400°F (200°C) and carry on cooking for another 30 to 35 minutes, or until the pastry is a golden brown.   Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.


More Information
Amaretto is an Italian almond and apricot kernel-based liqueur, between 24% and 28%.  Mainly used in cocktails, it also makes a good digestif and is used in desserts like Tiramisu.