Difficulty: Medium
Serves 6-8
Even though it may not be evident on the blog, it’s no secret that I favour the savoury over the sweet. In saying that, I am always trying super duper hard to come up with desserts that I actually want to eat myself, rather than just taking a bit to confirm it’s good and then pushing it to the side.
This is where my Peach, Basil & Custard Tart comes in. Peach and basil have long been a favourite in pies but I wanted to introduce them to my dear friend, custard. These three flavours work together like Destiny’s Child in their glory years, each bringing something powerful to the table. Which one is the Beyoncé? You’ll just have to make it and find out…
Ingredients
Pastry
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1/4 cup caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup vegan margarine
- 1/3 cup chilled water
Custard
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 1/2 cup plain flour
- 1 tablespoon agar agar powder
- 1 litre soy milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Topping
- 2 yellow peaches, cut into wedges
- Handful of basil
Method
- Preheat oven to 100°C and grease a quiche tin.
- In a food processor, process the flour, sugar, salt and vegan margarine until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the chilled water and process until a dough comes together.
- Tip out onto a lightly floured bench and knead for a minute or two before wrapping in clingwrap and place in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Roll the pastry out to a .5cm disc and gently place into the tin. Gently press the pastry into the grooves of the tin and tap on the bench to get the pastry in place.
- Slice the excess pastry off the edges of the tin with a sharp knife.
- Cut out a circular piece of baking paper and sit on top of the pastry before filling with baking weights.
- Blind bake the crust for 15 minutes then remove from the oven to cool. Turn the oven up to 220°C.
- Make the custard filling by chucking the sugar and agar agar in a saucepan, then sifting in the flour.
- Add the soy milk and vanilla before whisking constantly over medium-high heat until thick.
- Pour the custard into the crust and allow to cool for 10 minutes before adding peach pieces and basil.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the peach starts to cook on top. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a little while before serving warm.
