Name: Easy peach & almond tart
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 500g pack puff pastry; a little flour for dusting; 3 ripe peaches each cut into 6 wedges; crème fraîche to serve; 175g ground almonds; 50g toasted flaked almonds plus a handful more to decorate; 250g tub mascarpone; 25g butter softened; 200g golden caster sugar plus 1 tbsp to decorate; 2 eggs; ½ tsp almond extract

500g pack puff pastry
a little flour
for dusting
3 ripe peaches
each cut into 6 wedges
crème fraîche
to serve

For the filling

175g ground almonds
50g toasted flaked almonds
plus a handful more to decorate
250g tub mascarpone
25g butter
softened
200g golden caster sugar
plus 1 tbsp to decorate
2 eggs
½ tsp almond
extract

Method

step 1
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface until big enough to line a 23cm tart tin with an overhang. Line the tin with pastry, gently folding overhanging pastry down the outside of the tin, then prick all over with a fork. Line with baking parchment; sit a 20cm sandwich tin on top (it should fit snugly). Fill with baking beans, then blind-bake for 20-25 mins until the sides are set. Remove the beans, tin and paper and cook for 10-15 mins more until golden, risen and crisp. Cool a little, then trim the overhang and press down any risen bits.
step 2
Lower the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Beat together the filling ingredients, spoon into the tin and top with the peaches. Scatter with 1 tbsp caster sugar and extra flaked almonds, then bake for 40 mins until puffed up and golden, with a slight wobble in the centre. Cool to room temperature and serve with crème fraîche.