Peachy Custard Tart

                                          Summer tastes SO GOOD!

     I grew up eating custard pies.  My aunt made plain custard.  My mother usually added a can of sour cherries to her custard pies.  Either way was fine with me.  Custard was my favorite, and it probably always will be.  If I'm at a restaurant and there is custard on the dessert menu, that's what I'll be ordering. 

And custard is so versatile.  During the fall and winter months, I will often make a savory custard tart filled with spinach, roasted sweet peppers, and bacon or broccoli and ham, and always with an aged cheese thrown in the mix.  Add a green salad and you've got lunch, brunch, or dinner.  But in the summer, the custard tarts I make are all about fresh in-season fruits ~ Simplicity at its best.  Use fruits at the height of their summer-sweet-goodness, and organic eggs and dairy, preferably.  A few basic ingredients that give amazing results.
     My mother never made a tart; a pie plate always held her crusts and fillings. The small can of drained, sour cherries she used also meant a higher custard to fruit ratio.  I, on the other hand, will cover my entire tart base with the fruit, requiring less custard in my shallow fruit-filled crusts than my mother's deep dish.

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     If using a 9-inch tart pan, you most likely will have enough custard remaining for a second tart... Not such a bad thing!  I also mixed in about 2 tablespoons of Amaretto to the custard before pouring it over the fruit... Delicious, but totally optional.

 
:: SUMMER FRUIT and CUSTARD TART

• 9- or 10-inch prebaked tart shell
• 4 to 5 peaches, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
• Fresh blueberries or raspberries for garnish
• 2 large eggs
• 1 scant cup sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 to 2 tablespoons Amaretto Liqueur (optional)
1.  Preheat oven to 375˚F.
2.  Arrange sliced peaches decoratively in the prebaked tart shell.  Slowly pour custard over the fruit.  Place tart on the middle rack of the oven.  Bake for approximately 25 to 30 minutes, or until the custard has just a slight jiggle and the top is beginning to brown.
3.  Remove from oven and let rest.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

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