Life is all about balance and that includes treating ourselves from time to time! Roasting the peaches for this tasty tart takes a little while, so this is one for a relaxed Sunday afternoon gathering. It really melts in the mouth—and you can add an extra layer of decadence with a generous amount of plant-based ice cream or custard.
SERVES 6 | Prep time: 30 minutes, plus 1 hour to chill | Cooking time: 1 hour
For the pastry
1⅔ cups all-purpose flour (or 1¾ cups whole wheat flour), sifted, plus more for dusting
a pinch of sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup olive oil
a little coconut or olive oil, for greasing
For the filling
2 cups ground almonds
packed ⅓ cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tbsp almond milk
1 tsp almond extract
3 or 4 ripe peaches, sliced evenly
2 tbsp peach or apricot jam, dissolved in ¼ cup water to make a glaze
a handful of chopped toasted almonds ( optional )
Line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper and grease with a little coconut or olive oil. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, and confectioners’ sugar. Add the olive oil and mix with your hands to form crumbs. Add 3 tablespoons water and bring together into a dough. (Add a little more water if needed.) Flour your work surface, then roll out the dough into a circle about ¼ inch thick. Chill on a lined baking sheet in the fridge for about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400˚F. In a bowl, combine the ground almonds, sugar, cinnamon, almond milk, and almond extract.
Remove the pastry from the fridge and arrange it on the bottom of the cake pan. Spread the filling across the dough, leaving a ¾-inch border around the outside. Arrange the peach slices on top, making sure there are no gaps between the slices. Pinch the pastry around the fruit. (You can trim the edges, but I like a rustic look.)
Using a pastry brush or the back of a small spoon, apply half the apricot glaze to the pastry and fruit. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for another 15 minutes to allow the pastry to brown. Once out of the oven, top with the remaining glaze and chopped almonds, if desired.