Tag Archives: easy

Peach Tart

Peach TartIf you’re looking for an easy, elegant late-summer dessert, you’ve come to the right corner of the internet. This Peach Tart, y’all. I can’t get enough.Peach TartIt’s as beautiful as it is delicious, and much easier than pie, whether you make your own pastry or use the frozen stuff.Peach TartWhere most peach desserts are flavored with cinnamon and/or other pie spices, the fruit on this tart is prepared simply.Peach TartPeach TartPeach TartPeach TartPeach TartFresh peaches are sliced thin and tossed with lemon juice before being arranged over pastry, then sprinkled with a tiny amount of sugar and dotted with butter before baking.Peach TartThe result is this golden and gorgeous fruit-forward Peach Tart. There’s nothing to mask the flavor of the peaches because this time of year, when they’re at their peak, there’s no need.Peach Tart

Peach Tart
makes one tart, about 8-10 servings

Rough Puff Pastry:*
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
5 ounces (10 tablespoons) unsalted European-style butter, very cold, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup water or milk, very cold

For the tart:
3-4 medium peaches, sliced very thinly
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold, cut into small pieces

For garnish:
sifted confectioner’s sugar

Make the pastry. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Use a pastry blender or two forks to cut butter into dry ingredients until the largest pieces are the size of small peas. Pour in cold water or milk and stir with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.

Flour a surface and a rolling pin. Turn dough out onto surface, and use your hands to pat it into a rough rectangle. Roll the dough into an 8×10″ rectangle. Fold dough in thirds, and give it one quarter turn. Roll into an 8×10″ rectangle again, fold, and turn. Repeat rolling, folding, and turning until it has been done six times total. Wrap folded dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour, or up to 48 hours.

Make the tart. Place an oven rack in the center position. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a rimmed quarter-sheet pan or jelly roll pan with parchment.

Flour a surface and a rolling pin. Unfold dough. Roll dough out to 10×14-inch rectangle. Transfer dough to the prepared pan. Trim any excess overhang. Dock center of the dough with a fork. Refrigerate while you prepare the peaches.

Using a large sharp chef’s knife, slice peaches as thinly as possible, about 1/8-1/16 of an inch. Place slices in a bowl and toss with lemon juice.

Arrange slices decoratively over the crust. Scatter sugar over the top and dot with butter. Bake 28-30 minutes, until edges are puffed and golden brown. Large bubbles may form during baking. Just pop them with a fork or sharp knife.

Let tart cool completely in the pan on a rack. Use parchment to remove tart to a cutting board. Remove parchment. Sift confectioners sugar over the top. Slice into pieces. Serve immediately.

Tart is best eaten the day it’s made. Slices may be layered with wax paper or parchment and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Note:

You may use frozen all-butter puff pastry instead. Thaw according to package directions and begin the recipe at the paragraph that begins “Make the tart.”

Peach TartPeach Tart

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Vanilla Wafers

 Vanilla WafersSometimes you just need something easy. Something that will satisfy your sweet tooth, but also doesn’t have 43 ingredients or involve a 90 minute chill. Something that turns out every single time without you having to think too hard. Something that will go well with Nutella or ice cream or pudding or coffee. Something that you can pull out of the cabinet when company shows up, and look like Ina freaking Garten because *of course* you have these on-hand all the time.

Well, this is that recipe. 

Vanilla WafersThese vanilla wafers are so quick and easy, and they are ten zillion times better than the boxed variety. And I should know–these were the first recipe I “mastered” almost three years ago. I made them over and over again for months! I can practically bake them in my sleep.

The dough comes together in ten minutes flat, and doesn’t involve any special ingredients. If you feel like you have no food in the house, you probably still have all the ingredients to make these wafers. These cookies came to mind last week because I had one egg, one stick of butter, and not much of anything else. Less than 90 minutes later, I had made the world’s simplest dough, rolled it, and baked 152 tiny little cookies. 

Vanilla Wafers The most work-heavy part is probably the rolling–scooping dough 1/2 teaspoon at a time can get a little tedious–but that really doesn’t take more than a few minutes. I use my half-sheet pans for making these, and that allows me to bake 54 on a single pan! If you place one on each rack, that means all the cookies will be done in two batches. Easy peasy. 

Vanilla WafersAnd oh, are they good. For someone who prefers soft and chewy cookies, I sure do love these crispy, crunchy wafers. They’re buttery and full of vanilla flavor, and there’s a divine caramel undertone thanks to the brown sugar.

I love to make these Vanilla Wafers into tiny ice cream sandwiches, dunk them in coffee and, obviously, throw them into banana pudding. But of course, they’re wonderful just on their own. 

Vanilla Wafers Vanilla Wafers
adapted from Serious Eats
makes about 13 dozen very small cookies

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed*
1 large egg, room temperature
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in granulated and light brown sugars, followed by egg and vanilla. Add dry ingredients in two installments, combining completely after each addition.

Scoop dough by the 1/2 teaspoon, roll into balls*, and set 1-inch apart on prepared baking pans. Bake 8-9 minutes, or until browned at the edges and no longer raw-looking. Let cool five minutes on the pans before removing to a rack to cool completely.

Vanilla Wafers will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for at least a week.

Notes:

1. If you do not have or do not want to use light brown sugar, granulated sugar may be substituted.
2. Dough should be sticky, but still rollable.

Vanilla WafersVanilla Wafers