PEACH and RICOTTA TARTS

These are lovely delicate tarts bursting with the taste of summer. They have the smooth sweetness of the ricotta cream, the freshness of peaches, the crunch of burnt sugar and a crispy tart shell underneath, which makes for a triumph of texture and flavour. Make sure your peaches are ripe and the ricotta is dry — if it isn’t, leave it to strain overnight in the fridge.

Makes 20 tarts, 8 cm (3¼ inches) in size

1 quantity Sweet shortcrust pastry

2 peaches

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) ricotta cheese

50 g (1¾ oz) pure icing (confectioners’) sugar, sifted

1 vanilla bean, split lengthways

200 g (7 oz) Crème pâtissière

100 ml (3½ fl oz) thin (pouring) cream (35% fat), whipped to soft peaks

50 g (1¾ oz) raw caster (superfine) sugar

Follow the instructions here to roll out the pastry and use it to line twenty 8 cm (3¼ inch) round, fluted loose-based tart tins. Rest the pastry cases in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

Blind-bake the tart cases in a preheated 200°C (400°F) oven for 20–25 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Cut the peaches in half and remove the stones. Cut the flesh into quarters, then into 3 mm (¹/₈ inch) thick slices.

To make the filling, put the ricotta in a food processor with the icing sugar and scrape in the vanilla seeds, discarding the bean. Process until smooth and well combined, then transfer to a bowl.

Add the crème pâtissière and fold through with a large spoon. Add the cream and fold through.

Pipe or spoon the ricotta filling into the tart shells, right to the brim. Arrange the peach slices on top. Sprinkle some raw caster sugar over each tart and burn with a blowtorch or under a hot grill (broiler) until it caramelises.

Once filled and topped, the tarts should be eaten within a few hours.