Free-form peach tart

THE dessert of the summer of 1999; all the cooking mags have carried some version of this recipe, called variously free-form tarts or galettes.

Crust (enough for 2 tarts)

• 1 cup shortening; can be all butter, or part margarine, or vegetable shortening, or even lard, if you are not vegetarian
• 3 cups flour
• 3 TBLS sugar
• about 1 tsp. salt (if using unsalted butter)
• 5-6 TBLS cold water

Filling (for one tart):

• 6-8 peaches
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 TBLS framboise (raspberry liquor) OR 1 tsp vanilla + 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 TBLS flour
• scant TBLS butter

Special equipment for assembly:

• pastry brush, baking parchment, large cookie sheet
• small amount of milk for brushing
• coarse sugar (available from King Arthur Flour catalog) or regular

Place the flour and sugar in a bowl, mixer bowl, or work bowl of a food processor. Slice the butter and shortening into pieces and drop in on top. Cut the fat into the flour by hand using a pastry blender or your fingers, or using an electric mixer or food processor. Sprinkle on the water, and mix by any method just until the dough clumps; try not to let it start making a ball. Remove the dough, knead lightly into a ball, divide into two pieces, wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This makes enough dough for two tarts, but the extra can be refrigerated up to about a week and frozen for 6 months.

Place the peaches in a medium pot that will hold all of them comfortably. Cover them with cold water, then remove the peaches from the water, place the pot on the stove, and bring to a full boil. Drop the peaches in and count to 30 slowly. Pour the hot water out, cover with cold, and as soon as you can handle them, pull the skins off the peaches (this should be easy). As you skin the peaches, slice them into a bowl. Add 3 TBLS of the sugar and the framboise or extracts, and mix gently.