Celebrating the best of summer, this peach & blueberry tart really lets the fruit shine. With a brown sugar almond filling, a peach jam and plenty of fresh fruit, this tart is a great centerpiece for any summer shindig.
Tarts are a great way to showcase the prettiest fruits. Peaches most definitely fall into that category. And don’t even get me started on the jewels that are blueberries. Plus, they pair so well together, like in this peach and blueberry muffin.
What Makes this Tart Great?
- A shortbread crust is a really foolproof shell, with no shrinking back and easily rolling.
- A peach jam base layer gives a nice balance to the baked filling.
- An almond and brown sugar frangipane cream has a hint of ginger and bakes into a set base.
- Fresh fruit is studded on top for a beautiful finish.
Ingredients
I know tarts can seem intimidating, they are several components, but I promise each is easy on its own. First, let’s look through some of the ingredient highlights below:
- Peaches. Small peaches that are barely ripe (but not super soft and mushy) are the best here. They will hold up to baking but will still have plenty of flavor.
- Blueberries. Ripe, juicy berries are the way to go. If you are using frozen berries, defrost and pat dry before placing in the tart.
- Peach preserves. Use a quality store-bought preserve, no need to make your own. It will also double as the glaze on the fruit.
- Almond flour. This is the base of our frangipane filling. A finely ground almond meal or flour is best to avoid a grainy texture.
- Brown sugar. This could be made with all granulated sugar, but the molasses in the brown sugar pairs so well with the peaches, I couldn’t resist using it in the tart crust and frangipane filling.
- Ground ginger. So good with the peaches, blueberries and almonds. It takes this tart to the next level.
Making a Frangipane Tart
Frangipane
This tart is known as a frangipane tart, which is our baked almond cream filling. I use a similar filling in my fig and almond tart. Frangipane dates back to the 16th century and can be used in things like almond croissants and cakes.
When baked in tarts, the filling puffs around the fruit sets into a creamy cake-like texture. To make it, blend together butter and sugars, add eggs and flours. I use a food processor because we’re already using it for our crust I’d rather wash one thing than two.
Shortbread Crust
For our shortbread crust, we’re going to blend butter and sugars in a food processor, then add flour until a dough forms. Then, we are going to chill it enough to roll.
If you notice the dough is cracking while rolling, you can let it warm up a minute or two then re-roll. Plus, this dough is very forgivable so any cracks can be patched if needed.
Once you have a nice thin sheet rolled, transfer to a tart pan and press firmly into the corners and edges. Then we will blind bake the crust.
What is a blind bake? It means we are going to bake the crust without a filling first. This ensures the crust is fully baked through and no soggy bottom. Filling the shell with pie weights, dried beans or rice holds the crust in place during this first bake.
Fruit Filling
I decided to give the peaches a bit of a design on top. Don’t want to do deal with it? You can just slice the peaches in larger wedges and scatter around the top. I also have a video above to better show the process.
Prepare your fresh peaches by slicing along the natural perimeter and removing the pit. Slice each half into 1/8″ thick pieces. Create a fan design by pressing the top of the slices to one side. Slide a knife or small spatula under the slices and transfer to the top of your filling in one go.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope! The peaches don’t need to be peeled before going into the tart. If it’s a personal preference, you can absolutely peel them.
You can use a stand-mixer or hand-mixer if you don’t have a food processor. I prefer a processor because you don’t want to whip too much air into the frangipane.
Yep! Any fruit that holds up well with baking can work. Pears, other berries, apricots are all good options.
Peach & Blueberry Tart
Equipment
- Food processor
- 9" tart pan with removable bottom
- Pie weights
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 113 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 75 g granulated sugar
- 26 g light brown sugar
- 1 large egg beaten, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 255 g all-purpose flour
Frangipane Almond Cream
- 56 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 53 g light brown sugar
- 2 large egg beaten, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 96 g almond flour
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
Fillings
- 150 g peach preserve plus more for glaze (optional)
- 3 small peaches just ripe
- 65 g fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Shortbread crust. In the bowl of a food processor, blend together butter and sugars. Scrape bowl as needed with rubber spatula.113 g unsalted butter, 75 g granulated sugar, 26 g light brown sugar
- Blend egg and salt. Add flour. Pulse until dough is crumbly. Transfer dough to plastic wrap, shape into a disc, wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.1 large egg, 255 g all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt
- Once dough is chilled, roll on a floured surface into a 1/8" circle, about 11" wide. If dough is cracking, let warm up for a few minutes. Transfer to tart pan making sure to press the dough firmly into the corners and sides. Trim any excess from the top.
- Pierce the bottom of the dough all over with a fork. Place a sheet of parchment on top of the dough and fill with pie weights or dried, uncooked beans. Make sure weights get to the corners of the pan.
- Return the pan to the fridge while preheating the oven to 350°F (175°C). Once heated, blind bake the crust for 15-20 minutes until barely golden. Remove pie weights and parchment, return to the oven for 2 more minutes to set bottom. Let tart shell cool to the touch before filling.
- Frangipane. While tart shell bakes, make frangipane. Using same food processor, blend butter and sugars until light and fluffy.56 g unsalted butter, 50 g granulated sugar, 53 g light brown sugar
- Blend egg and almond extract. Add almond flour, all-purpose flour, salt and ginger. Blend until spreadable paste forms. Mixture will look slightly grainy.2 large egg, 1 teaspoon almond extract, 96 g almond flour, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- Once tart shelled is cooled, smooth peach preserves in a single layer across the bottom of the crust. Top with frangipane, smoothing into a flat layer. Frangipane should only fill the tart shell about 1/2 of the way up to allow for puffing.150 g peach preserve
- Cut peaches in half along dividing line, remove pit. Cut into 1/8" slices. Keeping the slices close, push slices into an angle to create a fanned effect. Transfer the peaches to the frangipane with the help of a spatula or knife under. Repeat with all remaining peaches to create a star shape. Fill gaps of frangipane with blueberries.*3 small peaches, 65 g fresh blueberries
- Bake 35-40 minutes until frangipane is set and golden brown.
- If desired, glaze peaches for a little shine: mix 2 tablespoons of peach preserves with 1 tablespoon water. Heat in the microwave until preserves are melted. Brush over fruit.
Notes
- *If you prefer an easier design, slice pitted peaches into 1/4″ thick slices and scatter around top of frangipane along with blueberries.
- Shortbread crust can be made and stored in the fridge two days in advance, or wrapped and frozen for up to three months. Defrost in the fridge before rolling.
- Frangipane can be made up to 2 weeks in advance. Allow to come to a spreadable, room temperature, consistency before using.
- Baked tart can be stored at room temperature for up to two days.
Disclaimer: We test all recipes using the metric weights shown, we cannot guarantee outcomes when switching to US measurements.
