Down here in South-Western Germany, wedged in between the French and Swiss border and with the Italian and Austrian ones what feels only like a stone’s throw away for that matter, it’s really hard not to think “Savory” when the concept of pastries comes up at exactly the right moment. Of course, there’s our signature thinnest-possible-crust-tart concept plus anything that grows on trees or bushes around here at any given time, but that’s a whole other story~

Anyways, if you find yourself in that particular mood that might nudge you rather fervently to either indulge in a fruit-studded cheese platter or something equally in-between right about now, you’ll be flooded with pastry-related options and alternatives in this corner of the world. Be it the French Quiches, German Onion Tarts, Swiss Ham & Cheese Cakes, a savory bacon-and-walnutty spin on an Austrian Gugelhupf my grandma used to make or any of the devilishly delicious goods coming out of Italian Bakeries. Now, just a short while after my Pear & Goat’s Cheese Tarte made a very successful appearance on our dinner table once more, I found myself in that particularly picky peckish mood while I was roaming through the wilds of Tyria and came across this recipe:

Needless to say, my thoughts snapped right back into the real world to join my yowling tummy and the rest of me in my kitchen. Here’s what we came up with – and regularly re-create because… mmmmh! Here’s what you need to fill a classic tarte tin of about 26-28cm DIA.

The Glazed Peach & Taleggio Tarte
300g Tarte Dough, rolled out to a disk slightly wider than your tin (plus rims) – check out my Quiche of Darkness recipe over here for a classic, a low-cal high protein and a cheaty version of this
Alt: High Quality Storebought Tarte Dough, Butter Puff Pastry or even Pizza Dough
3-4 Peaches, halved, pitted, segmented as thinly as possible
1 Tbsp Preserved Green Peppercorns, chopped
3 Sprigs of Rosemary, very finely chopped, for the cheesy mix
3 Tbsp of Rosemary or Forest Honey
2 Sprigs of Rosemary, finely chopped for the honey
1 Sprig of Rosemary, roughly chopped, decorative dots on top
150g Crème Légère
1 Egg
75g Ground Almonds, lightly toasted
1 Tsp Herbs de Provence
½ Tsp Lavender Blossoms
A generous Pinch each of Salt, Pepper and hot Chili Flakes
1 Large, unwaxed Lemon, Zest – ½ for the honey, ½ for the cheese
300g Taleggio, diced into ~1cm pieces – depending on the ripeness of the cheese, using a knife on it might prove futile. Use a teaspoon instead in that case and look forward to the result~!
Alt: 300g Reblochon – treat it in the same way, but you might want to throw out the rind if it’s that ripe & runny already
Olive Oil to brush the edges
Opt: Pince Nuts or Almond Slivers

1) Grab your designated tarte dough, previously handmade or storebought, and roll it out on a sheet of baking parchment.
2) Lightly prick the dough with a fork in a regular pattern to keep it from puffing up later on.
3) Place the dough in the fridge and allow it to chill though again for 30 mins. If you’ve got the fridge-space, slide in the tin as well. All steps on the way to a truly crispy crust~!
4) Meanwhile, warm up the honey in a small pot sitting on low heat.
5) Add the chopped rosemary needles designated for the honey and it to infuse the honey for 15 mins. Once the steeping time is over, stir in the lemon zest and allow the golden liquid to cool down to room temperature afterwards.
6) Place the crème légère, ground almonds, green peppercorns, salt, pepper, chilli, very finely chopped rosemary, second half of the lemon zest, herbs de provence in a mixing bowl along with the egg and whisk the lot into a smooth, creamy mixture.

7) Preheat your oven to 220°C.
8) Now, to get the best, crispiest results, you’re going to have to be quick at this point, so make sure you have everything in easy reach as the temperature ticks up towards 220°C.
9) Rinse your tarte tin with ice cold water. Shake off the excess water but don’t towel it dry. Rinse your hands as well to cool them down, while you’re at it.
10) Fit the chilled dough into the tin, pressing it into the signature wavy rims of a tarte tin and the bottom curve with a balled up piece of excess dough or a bunched-up corner of a clean, dry kitchen towel.
11) Carefully slice off the edges of dough hanging over the edges of the tin with a very sharp knife.
12) Brush the rims with a thin sheen of olive oil.
13) Grab your creamy mix and evenly spread it out across the bottom of the tin with the back of a spoon or a palette knife. Try to keep the rims clean through.
14) Dot the surface with evenly spaced cheese dice. Slightly press them down into the mixture.
15) Give the peach slices a quick pat with a paper towel and arrange them on top of the tarte in any decorative, spread-out pattern you might find appealing.
16) Place the tin on the lowest rack of your pre-heated oven and leave it to its’ own devices for 20 mins.
17) Carefully take it out once the time’s up and evenly drizzle it with the infused lemon & rosemary honey.
18) Slide the tarte back into the oven for another 5-10 mins until the glaze has turned golden.
19) Take the tin out of the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Dot the surface with the lavender blossoms and the optional pine nuts or almond slivers for eye candy and seal the deal with the fresh rosemary needles and maybe even an extra dot of crème fraîche on top.

Enjoy~!

♥