Photo Courtesy The Last Course
My dear Mom always had a supply of old brioche tins in her kitchen. How I wish I had them now!
Adapted from The Last Course – The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern by Claudia Fleming, Copyright 2001
Yield 6 servings
1 tsp light corn syrup
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 cup crystallized ginger, cut into very small dice
4 tblsp unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1″ pieces
3 large peaches, unpeeled, halved and pitted
8 oz puff pastry, preferably all butter, thawed if necessary
- preheat oven to 400F. Place 3 tablespoons water and the corn syrup in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the sugar and stir until the sugar resembles wet sand. Increase the heat to high and cook without stirring until the mixture is a dark amber caramel, 7-10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter until smooth.
- Divide the caramel among six 2 1/2 inch ramekins, individual small brioche molds or muffin cups. Divide the crystalized ginger among the cups as well. Place one peach half, cut side down, on top of the caramel in each of the six cups. Cover the pan with foil and pierce all over with a knife. Bake the peaches for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake for 45 minutes longer.
- Meanwhile, prepare the puff pastry. On a floured surface, roll out or unfold the pastry to 1/4″ thick and prick all over with a fork. Chill the pastry for 30 minutes.
- Using a round cutter or a knife, cut out 6 puff pastry rounds slightly larger than the muffin cups, ramekins or brioche molds. Place the rounds directly on top of the peaches and press the edges of the pastry to seal them against the muffin cups/molds. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the puff pastry is golden brown and the peaches are fork tender but not mushy.
- Allow the tartes Tatin to cool for at least 1 hour before inverting onto a serving dish. Alternatively, bake the tartes up to 12 hours in advance, let them cool completely in the tins, ten reheat them in a 300F oven for 5-7 minutes, or until hot.