Peach Lemon Verbena Fruit Tart

Fresh, juicy peaches are one of our all-time favorite fruits and when paired with lemon verbena custard and shortbread pastry shell, they turn into one of our all-time favorite desserts. This peach lemon verbena fruit tart starts with a simple, sweet tart that is baked until golden. It is then filled with a  lemon verbena infused custard. The custard is topped with fresh sliced peaches and brushed with an apricot glaze. It is a fruity, slightly floral, light and refreshing dessert that is the perfect summer fruit tart.

Peach Lemon Verbena Fruit Tart Ingredient Notes:

• Powdered Sugar: Unlike granulated sugar, powdered sugar contains cornstarch, which helps keep the tart dough tender. It is also finer than granulated sugar which ensures a smooth and even integration into the dough.

• Lemon Verbena Leaves: Fresh lemon verbena leaves infuse the pastry cream with a delicate, citrusy and slightly floral flavor. The flavor goes perfectly with the peaches and adds a unique twist to the classic fruit tart.
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch is what thickens the pastry cream while remaining smooth. It helps stabilize the cream, making it perfect for layering on the tart without losing its shape once it is sliced.
• Salt: We add a little bit of salt in all of our baking. It balances the sweetness and creates an overall more flavorful dessert.
• Peaches: We use fresh, ripe, juicy peaches for the best flavor in every bite. We also leave on the skin since we like the color and texture, but it can be removed.
• Apricot Jam: The glaze made from heated and strained apricot jam adds a glossy finish to the tart. It also helps keep the peaches from browning. 

Tips for the Best Peach Lemon Verbena Fruit Tart:

• Chill the tart dough: Make sure the Sweet Tart Dough is properly chilled before rolling it out. Chilling helps the dough retain its shape and prevents shrinking during baking.
• Steep the milk: When making the Lemon Verbena Pastry Cream, be sure to steep the lemon verbena leaves in the milk as this step is when it infuses it with the lemon verbena flavor.
• Plastic Wrap on the cream: To prevent the pastry cream from forming a skin while cooling, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the cream.
• Keeping the peaches from browning. For a shiny finish, brush the top of the tart with the heated and strained apricot jam after topping with peaches.

Other Fruit Tart Variations:

This recipe can be used for all different kinds of fruit tarts. Some of our favorites include using fresh berries, mixed stone fruits, or tropical fruits like mango. The Lemon Verbena Pastry Cream pairs well with a wide range of fruits, but the lemon verbena can also be removed to make a standard vanilla bean pastry cream.

Peach Lemon Verbena Fruit Tart FAQ

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Peach Lemon Verbena Fruit Tart

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Cooling 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

Sweet Tart Dough:

• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 ¼ cup flour 150 g
• ⅔ cup powdered sugar 65 g
• ½ teaspoon salt 2g
• 1 stick butter chilled and in ¼ inch pieces 113 g

Lemon Verbena pastry cream:

• 2 cups whole milk 465 g
• ⅓ cup lightly packed fresh lemon verbena leaves, removed from stem (5 g)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 g
• 5 tablespoons cornstarch 40 g
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar 66 g
• 2 large eggs 1 egg yolk
• 4 tablespoons salted butter 57 g

Assembly:

• 4-5 peaches thinly sliced
• ¼ cup apricot jam heated and strained

Instructions

Lemon verbena pastry cream:

• In a small sauce pan on medium heat, slowly heat the 2 cups of milk and lemon verbena leaves until the milk is steaming but no bubbles form (it should be hot but just before boiling). At this point, turn off the heat and cover with a lid to steep for 1 hour
• After the milk has stepped, strain out all the leaves and set aside
• Set aside a bowl to cool the pastry cream with a fine-mesh sieve on top
• In another bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and sugar. Add the eggs and whisk until smooth. Set aside the mixture
  
• In a saucepan, pour in the milk and the vanilla bean paste. Add the salt and mix. Place the mixture on medium-high heat until just under a boil. Be sure to stir the mixture occasionally to ensure the milk solids do not stick to the bottom of the pan
• When the milk is warmed, add 1/3 of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to ensure the eggs do not cook. After it is combined, pour the egg-milk mixture back into the remaining ⅔ of the hot milk. Whisk over medium heat until the mixture is as thick as lightly whipped cream. It should just come just barely to a boil – be sure not to let it get beyond this as the cream will curdle. Remove from the heat and immediately pour through the sieve into the bowl. Do not leave the pastry cream in the bowl as it will continue to cook.
• Let the cream cool slightly for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally and then mix in the butter one piece at a time. Stir until smooth before adding the next piece of butter
  
• Cool the pastry cream by tightly covering a bowl with plastic wrap. The plastic should press onto the pastry cream to keep it from developing a skin. After wrapping, place in the refrigerator to chill.

Tart Crust:

• Makes enough for a 9” tart
• Whisk the egg yolk, cream almond extract and vanilla. Set aside.
• In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt until evenly combined. Scatter over the chilled butter pieces and pulse until the mixture has butter pieces a little smaller than peas (this will be about 15 pulses).
• While the food processor is running, add in the egg mixture through the tube in the lid. Process the dough until it just forms a ball around the blade (10-15 seconds).
• Place the dough in plastic wrap and wrap it tightly. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more. Place on the counter for ~10 minutes before rolling.

Blind Baking the Tart Dough:

• To blind bake the tart dough, roll it into an 11 inch circle. Place the circle on the tart dish and gently press the dough into the bottom of the tart pan, moving in a circle motion until the bottom sits flat. Once the bottom is flat across the base, press in the sides of the tart with your finger and cut off any excess dough with a knife.
  
• Cut a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the entire crust. Place it over the tart and fill with dried beans or rice until the tart is filled.
  
• Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove from the oven and remove the parchment and baking weights (rice or beans). Prick the bottom with a fork 5-10 times and bake for 15-20 more minutes or until golden brown. Set aside to cool
  

Assembling the tart:

• Pour the cooled custard inside the cooled tart shell, use a spatula to even as needed
  
• Heat the jam until just warm and strain. Set aside
• Top the tart with thinly sliced peaches and brush the apricot jam on top
  

Notes

Tart dough based on a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen