More of the Summer's Bounty

After processing the massive amount of apricots that I got from my neighbor's tree, my attention turned to the other summer produce--white peaches.

They were being sold for $0.50 a pound at Sprouts (one of my fav grocery stores) which was a great deal.  The growing/harvest season for white peaches are apparently pretty narrow compared to yellow peaches, so I couldn't resist buying some after seeing these guys on sale.

I bought just 2 pounds--we were running out of room in our freezer, so I didn't want a whole lot of fruit that I had to process.  At home, I halved and pitted them, then poached them in sugar syrup with Amaretto til they were just tender.  Poaching preserves them and enhances their flavor.

Now what to do with these (other than eating them straight out of the jar)?  Probably a dessert that will highlight the white peach's rather delicate flavor.  A pie or a tart would be perfect for that!
I decided to make a frangipane tart;  there is a 1-lb slab of almond paste sitting in my freezer that I've been wanting to use for something, but haven't had the chance to.

After making a tart dough and lining tartlet pans with it, I let it chill in the fridge while I prepped the frangipane.  It sounds like a fancy French word, but it's super simple to make:

Almond Paste	8 oz
Sugar	1 oz
Butter, softened	3.5 oz
Eggs	2
Vanilla extract	½ tablespoon
Flour	0.75 oz

1.  In a bowl of a stand mixer (hand held mixer will work also) blend almond paste with the sugar on low speed til creamy.

2.  Gradually add the softened butter in small amounts at a time, to prevent lumps.

3.  Add eggs one at a time, and mix on medium speed til fluffy.

4.  Mix in the vanilla and the flour.

It should have the consistency of a very smooth, soft pudding.

I piped an even layer of the frangipane into the tart shells.  After cutting up the fruit--they can be cut any way as desired--I laid them carefully on the frangipane.

The fruits don't need to be pushed in.  The filling will puff up around them, making them sink a bit.
Bake them at 375F for about 20~25 minutes...

...until they are a lovely golden hue.  Once cooled, they were brushed with a bit of the apricot syrup to keep them moist, and also shine and color.

A simple dusting of powder sugar gives them an elegant look.  The fruity tang of the apricot and the peaches are enhanced with the creamy, almond-y frangipane, which matches beautifully with the buttery tart crust.