Cookbook Challenge 2011 - Stonefruits

So, I came across the cookbook challenge last year and thought - what a great idea. I'm a notorious (to my family and friends anyway) cookbook junkie, but when it comes to actually cooking, I jump straight on the net to find what I'm looking for. I figured it was about time I did them justice and used them for something other than bedtime reading, so here I am jumping into the cookbook challenge with the intention of making it through the year. Lets see...

Where else to start but Stephanie Alexander? If there is one cookbook that I do use, it's this one. When I've bought something that I'm not quite sure what to do with, she's the first place I look for ideas. So when I came back from the Collingwood children's farmers market with kilos of peaches, cherries and nectarines from Taminick, the cook's companion was the obvious place to start.

I settled upon the peaches and cream tart (mainly so that I could use the kitchen blowtorch that I just had to buy) which was just lovely. The tartness of the peaches with the creamy filling and crunchy brulee topping made for a really nice contrast in flavour and texture.

peaches and cream tart from stephanie alexander's the cook's companion

1 quantity Shortcrust Pastry
1 egg white, lightly beaten
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup castor sugar
few drops of pure vanilla
1 tablespoon peach schnapps or brandy
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon cornflour
3 large peaches
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a 26cm loose-bottomed flan tin with pastry and bake blind for 20 minutes. Remove foil and weights, then brush base of pastry case with egg white and return to oven for a further 5 minutes. allow to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 180°C.

Whisk egg yolks, castor sugar, vanilla, schnapps, sour cream and cornflour in an electric mixer until pale and mousse-like. Peel peaches and cut into 5mm thick slices, then arrange slices in pastry case in concentric circles. Pour over sour cream mixture and bake for about 20 minutes until set and beginning to brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Crimp some foil over edges of tart to protect pastry, then sprinkle top with brown sugar. Using a blowtorch or passing tart under a preheated griller, quickly and evenly caramelise top. Serve warm or at room temperature.