This elegant dessert features a crisp almond pastry shell filled with a silky cream cheese panna cotta and topped with fresh peach slices. It is a refined treat that balances creamy textures with the brightness of summer stone fruit.

List of ingredients

163 g plain (all purpose) flour (1+¼ cups / 6oz)
85 g almond meal (almond flour) (3oz)
⅓ cup icing (Confectioners / powdered) sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
113 g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes (1 stick / ½ cup)
1.5 – 2 tablespoons ice water (20-30ml)
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 ½ cups whole milk
2 teaspoons powdered gelatine
2 tablespoons caster sugar
125 g cream cheese
Pinch of salt
1 cup water
⅓ cup sugar
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
2 peaches, roughly sliced
1 teaspoon powdered gelatine
1 tablespoon boiling water
2.5 – 3 peaches, halved and thinly sliced

step-by-step instructions

Prepare the Oven and Tin: Preheat your oven to 180C / 350F (or 160C for fan-forced ovens) and line the base of a 9-inch round fluted tart tin with baking paper.
Blitz Dry Ingredients: Use a food processor to combine almond meal, flour, sugar, ginger, and salt until well blended.
Incorporate Butter: Add the chilled butter cubes and blitz for 15-20 seconds until the texture resembles large breadcrumbs.
Form the Dough: Slowly drizzle in ice water while the processor runs on low; stop immediately once the mixture forms large clumps.
Chill the Pastry: Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic or baking paper, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll the Dough: Roll the chilled dough between two sheets of floured baking paper to a thickness of 3mm.
Fit the Tin: Carefully transfer the pastry into the tart tin, nudging it into the corners, and trim the overhang to 1cm above the rim.
First Freeze: Place the lined tin in the freezer for 15 minutes to set the shape.
Blind Bake: Prick the base with a fork, line with baking paper and weights, and bake for 20 minutes.
Trim and Seal: Remove weights, trim the excess pastry flush with the rim using a flat knife, and brush the inside of the shell with beaten egg white.
Final Bake: Bake for another 20 minutes, then place the shell in the freezer until completely cold.
Bloom Gelatine: Pour half of the cold milk into a saucepan and sprinkle the gelatine over the top to soften.
Mix Cream Base: Beat cream cheese and caster sugar until smooth, then slowly beat in the remaining milk and salt.
Dissolve Gelatine: Gently heat the milk and gelatine mixture on low until dissolved, then stir it into the cream cheese mixture.
Strain and First Pour: Strain the panna cotta mixture back into the saucepan, pour about ½ cup into the tart shell, and freeze for 15 minutes.
Complete Panna Cotta Layer: Pour in the remaining mixture and refrigerate for approximately 2 hours.
Arrange Fruit: Thinly slice the remaining peaches and arrange them in an overlapping circular pattern on top of the set panna cotta.
Simmer Peach Syrup: Combine water, sugar, ginger, and chopped peaches in a pan; simmer for 5 minutes and let infuse for 30 minutes.
Prepare Jelly: Strain the syrup to remove solids, then stir in gelatine dissolved in boiling water.
Finish the Tart: Gently pour the peach jelly over the sliced peaches, pop any air bubbles with a toothpick, and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Pastry Preparation Secrets

Maintaining Cold Temperatures

Ensure your butter and water are ice cold before mixing. This prevents the fats from melting prematurely, which is essential for achieving a crisp, flaky texture rather than a dense, greasy crust.

The Role of Almond Meal

Replacing a portion of the flour with almond meal adds a subtle nuttiness and improves the tender crumb. It also helps the pastry hold its shape better during the blind baking process.

Preventing Crust Shrinkage

Chilling the dough for 30 minutes and freezing the shaped shell for 15 minutes relaxes the gluten. This prevents the pastry from pulling away from the edges of the tin during the baking process.

Creating a Moisture Barrier

Brushing the baked shell with beaten egg white creates a thin, waterproof seal. This critical step prevents the liquid panna cotta from soaking into the crust, keeping it crunchy.

Effective Blind Baking

Using baking weights ensures the base remains flat and doesn’t bubble up. Pricking the base with a fork further allows steam to escape, ensuring an even bake.

Panna Cotta Texture Tips

Proper Gelatine Blooming

Always sprinkle gelatine over cold liquid and let it sit for several minutes. Blooming ensures the granules hydrate fully, which prevents rubbery lumps from forming in the final cream layer.

Achieving a Silky Smoothness

Straining the panna cotta mixture through a fine-mesh sieve is a mandatory step. This removes any undissolved gelatine or small cream cheese clumps for a professional finish.

Managing Cream Cheese Temperature

Use room temperature cream cheese when beating with sugar. This ensures the mixture is smooth and incorporates the milk without separating or becoming grainy.

The Double-Set Method

Pouring a small amount of filling and freezing it briefly creates a ‘seal’ layer. This prevents the remaining liquid from leaking through any microscopic cracks in the pastry shell.

Working with Fresh Peaches

Selecting the Ideal Fruit

Choose peaches that are fragrant and give slightly under gentle pressure. Fruit that is too soft may release too much moisture, while underripe peaches will lack the necessary sweetness.

Slicing for Visual Impact

Cut the peaches into very thin, uniform crescents. Overlapping them in a tight spiral pattern creates a professional, bakery-style appearance and ensures every bite has fruit.

Infusing the Peach Syrup

Allowing the simmered peaches to steep in the syrup for 30 minutes maximizes the flavor extraction. This creates a deeper, more concentrated peach taste in the jelly layer.

Eliminating Air Bubbles

After pouring the jelly, use a toothpick or a thin needle to pop any visible bubbles on the surface. This ensures a crystal-clear finish that showcases the fruit underneath.

Customization and Variations

Using Alternative Stone Fruits

This recipe works beautifully with nectarines or apricots. If using apricots, you may want to slightly increase the amount of ginger to balance their natural tartness.

Adding Citrus Brightness

A teaspoon of lemon zest added to the panna cotta mixture can brighten the overall flavor. The acidity cuts through the richness of the cream cheese and complements the peaches.

Nut-Free Pastry Adjustments

To make this nut-free, replace the almond meal with an equal weight of all-purpose flour. You can add a tablespoon of cornstarch to mimic the tender texture provided by the almond meal.

Low-Sugar Alternatives

You can substitute the caster sugar with a 1:1 monk fruit sweetener. Be careful with icing sugar substitutes, as some can alter the structural integrity of the pastry.

Preserving and Storing the Tart

Optimal Refrigeration

Keep the tart in the refrigerator at all times until shortly before serving. The gelatine layers require a constant cool temperature to maintain their structure and prevents the cream from softening.

Avoiding Odor Contamination

Store the tart under a cake dome or a loosely covered tray. Panna cotta is highly absorbent and can easily pick up strong odors from other foods in the fridge.

Maximum Shelf Life

This tart is best consumed within 48 hours. Over time, the moisture from the fruit and jelly can begin to migrate into the crust, reducing its crispness.

Serving and Slicing Methods

The Sawing Technique

Use a very sharp, non-serrated knife to cut through the jelly and fruit. Employ a gentle sawing motion rather than pressing straight down to avoid crushing the delicate peach slices.

Ideal Serving Temperature

Serve the tart chilled, but let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before slicing. This slightly softens the panna cotta, enhancing the melt-in-the-mouth sensation.

Plating Suggestions

Garnish each slice with a small mint leaf or a single fresh raspberry for a pop of color. A dollop of unsweetened whipped cream on the side adds a classic touch.

Common Troubleshooting Fixes

Dealing with a Soggy Crust

If the crust becomes soft, ensure you are using the egg white seal and the freezing method. For future tarts, consider baking the shell slightly longer until it is a deep golden brown.

Fixing Rubbery Panna Cotta

A rubbery texture is usually caused by using too much gelatine or boiling the gelatine mixture. Ensure you only heat the milk enough to dissolve the granules without reaching a rolling boil.

Preventing Jelly Separation

If the jelly layer appears cloudy or separates, it may be due to uneven mixing. Stir the dissolved gelatine into the syrup thoroughly and ensure the syrup is not boiling when the gelatine is added.

Managing Cracked Pastry

Small hairline cracks in the pastry are normal and usually sealed by the egg white. If a large crack occurs, you can patch it with a tiny bit of extra dough before the first bake.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use canned peaches instead of fresh?

Yes, you can use canned peaches if fresh ones are out of season. Ensure you drain them thoroughly on paper towels to remove excess syrup, as extra moisture can prevent the jelly from setting.

Can I make this dessert vegan?

This recipe requires significant changes for a vegan version. You would need to replace gelatine with agar-agar, butter with vegan butter, and cream cheese/milk with plant-based alternatives.

How do I prevent the jelly from sliding off?

Make sure the panna cotta layer is fully set and cold before adding the peaches and jelly. If the panna cotta is still slightly warm, the jelly may not adhere properly to the surface.

Is it possible to freeze the finished tart?

Freezing is not recommended for the completed tart. The freezing and thawing process breaks down the gelatine structure, which can lead to a watery consistency and a soggy crust.

Panna Cotta Fresh Peach Tart

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Author: Lora Marie Bennett
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

This Panna Cotta Fresh Peach Tart is delicate layers of cream cheese panna cotta, fresh peach slices and homemade peach jelly In a perfect tart shell.

Ingredients

163 g plain (all purpose) flour
85 g almond meal (almond flour)
⅓ cup icing sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
113 g unsalted butter, chilled, cut into cubes
1.5 – 2 tablespoons ice water
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 ½ cups whole milk
2 teaspoons agar agar powder
2 tablespoons caster sugar
125 g cream cheese
pinch of salt
1 cup water
⅓ cup sugar
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
2 peaches, roughly sliced
1 teaspoon agar agar powder
1 tablespoon boiling water
2.5 – 3 peaches, halved and thinly sliced

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Instructions

Preheat: Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / 160C fan forced.
Mix Crust: Add almond meal, flour, sugar, ginger and salt to a food processor and blitz until well combined.
Add Butter: Add butter and blitz for 15-20 seconds until the mixture resembles large breadcrumbs.
Form Dough: Slowly drizzle in water while running on low until clumps form. Pull into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll and Fit: Roll dough to 3mm thickness, fit into a 9 inch round fluted tart tin, and trim the overhang to 1 cm above the lip. Freeze for 15 minutes.
First Bake: Prick the base with a fork, line with baking paper and baking weights, and bake for 20 minutes.
Seal and Bake: Remove weights, trim excess pastry with a knife, brush the inside with egg white, and bake for another 20 minutes.
Chill Shell: Place the baked shell in the freezer until cold.
Prepare Panna Cotta Base: Pour half of the cold milk into a saucepan and sprinkle over agar agar powder.
Mix Filling: Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth, then slowly beat in the remaining milk and salt.
Heat and Combine: Heat the milk and agar agar mixture on low until dissolved, then stir into the cream cheese mixture and strain.
Set Layers: Pour about ½ cup of filling over the base and freeze for 15 minutes. Add the remaining filling and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Simmer Peaches: Heat water, sugar, ginger and roughly chopped peaches over low heat; simmer for 5 minutes, then let sit for 30 minutes to infuse.
Make Jelly: Strain the mixture. Dissolve agar agar in boiling water, then stir it into the peach syrup.
Assemble: Arrange peach slices over the panna cotta, pour the jelly over the top, and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Notes

Use a sharp knife (not serrated) and use a sawing motion with only light pressure to cut through the peach layer.

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Various

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 269 kcal
Sugar: 18 g
Sodium: 145 mg
Fat: 14 g
Saturated Fat: 8 g
Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 24 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 6 g
Cholesterol: 42 mg