Rose-Shaped Peach Tarts

Short and buttery tart shells filled with a creamy vanilla bean mascarpone cream and a swirl of fresh peaches arranged into an elegant rose.

With summer coming around soon it’ll be the start of stone fruit season for us here in Australia, while the rest of the northern hemisphere nears winter. I love stone fruit because it is perfect for desserts! Their soft and sweet texture can be baked into a pie, or served fresh and both are equally delicious.

Today we are using them to create a stunning rose on top of a mascarpone cream filled tart!

These tarts may look challenging, but once you have the basics down you’ll be pumping out these beauties. Not only does this work with peaches, but it can also work with other fruits like plums, apples, pears and even mangoes!

What tart mould to use

To create these tarts I used a 650mm perforated tart ring. If you are able to find these I highly recommend them! The perforation on the tart rings mean you can bake these without blind baking. If you’re new to baking blind baking means filling the tart shells with baking beans to prevent them from puffing up as they bake. With the tart rings you won’t need to blind bake as it evens out the heat distribution, creating an even golden brown colour with a reduced bake time!

Using a regular tart mould

If you only have regular tartlet moulds that’s ok too!

To line the tart shells cut out a circle that is 2-3cm larger than the diameter of your mould. Then gently press the dough into the crevices of your mould and trim the edges. Once the mould has been fully lined, use a fork to dock the base to make several small holes. This prevents the dough from rising, then chill the dough before baking.

To blind bake the tartlets line each of the tart shells with baking paper and fill them with baking beans or rice and bake for 20 minutes, or until the tart shell is no longer raw. Then remove the baking paper and beans and bake for another 10 minutes or until the pastry is lightly golden brown. Now you have perfect tart shells for filling

Using a perforated tart ring

If you are using a perforated tart ring, cut out the bases using the ring and lay them on a sheet of baking paper or a baking mat. If you have a perforated baking mat even better! A perforated baking mat creates even heat across the bottom of your tarts so that they will be perfectly flat.

Once the bases are lined, cut out 2cm strips of dough and carefully line the edges of your rings. Seal the edges together, trim the sides and chill before baking! All your need to do is dock the base and bake for perfect tart shells!

Tips for lining the tart shell

Getting the perfect tart shell is the beginning of an awesome tart. There are a couple of things to keep in mind when lining a tart shell: the shell thickness and chilling the dough!

Creating the perfect tart shell thickness

You want to create a shell that doesn’t overpower the rest of the tart. When making mini tarts or tartlets it’s easy for the shell to overpower the rest of the dessert if it is too thick. However you might find it hard to create a thin tart shell as the pastry becomes harder to handle.

I recommend rolling your dough out to 2mm in thickness. This is the perfect thickness for a mini tart and it is still easy to handle.

Chilling your dough

Chilling your dough is important for a couple of reasons. The first is because it makes it easier to handle. When the dough is at room temperature it will be very soft and pliable. This makes it prone to breakage especially when it has been rolled thinly.

Once your dough has been rolled out to 2mm in thickness place it in the fridge or freezer to firm up before using it to line your moulds. That way it won’t melt and break the moment you transfer it to your mould. I recommend chilling the dough for 30 minutes.

After you have lined your tart shells you need to chill them again. This is the second reason why chilling is important. Chilling your dough at this stage prevents the tart from shrinking when baking. Chill them for 30-60 minutes before baking them!

Tips for creating the rose

Now we’re onto creating the rose! The rose is actually very easy to create once you have the basic technique down.

Use a vibrantly coloured peach!

Using a bright coloured peach is the first step to creating a beautiful rose. The skin of the peach will essentially become the colour of the rose from the top down. I like to use peaches with a red skin for the perfect rose colour

• Cut thin slices

Cutting thin slices is the secret to a perfect rose. If the slices are too thick it’ll make them harder to roll into a rose shape. Not only that but it also increases the possibility of the slices cracking as you roll them. Slice them as thinly as possible. If you have a mandoline on hand this is the perfect tool for perfectly even slices the whole way through.

• Roll tightly

Make sure you have a good grip on the slices and roll as tightly as possible. A tight roll will give you a full flower. Once you have the flower rolled you can place it on top of the tart and pull out the edges to create the perfect rose.

Rose-Shaped Peach Tarts

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Short and buttery tart shells filled with a creamy vanilla bean mascarpone cream and a swirl of fresh peaches arranged into an elegant rose.

Adapted from KitchenAid

• Author: Catherine Zhang
• Prep Time: 60 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x
• Category: Tart
• Method: Intermediate
• Cuisine: French

Ingredients

Units MUS Scale 1x2x3x

Tart shell

• 225g Plain flour (1 3/4 cups)
• 13g Icing sugar (2 tbsp)
• 125g Unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
• 1 Egg yolk

Filling

• 250g Mascarpone cream (8.80z)
• 250g Thickened/Heavy cream (1 cup 1 tbsp)
• 25g Icing sugar (1/4 cup)
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp Rum, optional

Assembly

• 4 Ripe yellow peaches
• 1 tbsp Jam (apricot, or any light coloured jam preferred)
• 2 tsp Water

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Instructions

Tart shell

1. Combine the flour, icing sugar and butter together in a food processor
2. Pulse until a sand-like texture forms
3. Add the egg yolk and continue to pulse until a rough dough forms (if it is a little dry add a splash of water to help it along, don’t add more than 1 tbsp)
4. Transfer the dough to a clean surface and knead until a rough ball forms
5. Place the ball between two sheets of baking paper and roll until 2mm in thickness
6. Place on a baking sheet and chill in the fridge for 30-60 minutes
7. Remove from the fridge and line your tart moulds or rings, I used 650mm tart rings, but any tart mould will work- see the tips in the blog post on how to line the moulds or rings
8. Place the lined tarts on a baking tray lined with baking paper and chill in the fridge for 30-60 minutes before baking
9. Preheat the oven to 180C / 355F and dock the base of your tarts with a fork to create small holes
10. Line each tart with a small square of scrunched up baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice
11. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry is no longer raw
12. Remove the baking beans and paper and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until the pastry is lightly golden brown
13. Remove from the oven and cool

See Also This Recipe:  Traditional Mooncakes

Filling

1. Combine the mascarpone cream, thickened cream, icing sugar, vanilla and rum together in a bowl and whisk until stiff peaks
2. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip

Assembly

1. Fill the cooled tarts almost to the top with the filling
2. Slice the two sides of the peaches off
3. With the cut side down slice the peach half into thin slices with a sharp knife, if you have a mandoline feel free to use it here
4. Lay the peach slices down in a line, each slice overlapping the other
5. Then roll the line of peach slices up into a swirl to create the rose
6. Carefully transfer the rose to the filled tart and press lightly to set it in place
7. Place several peach slices around the edges of the rose to finish it off
8. Lightly pull out the ‘petals’ to create a fuller rose and repeat with the remaining peaches and tarts
9. Combine the water and jam in a small microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds or until just melted
10. Stir until smooth and use a pastry brush and carefully brush the roses with jam
11. Enjoy!

Catherine Zhang

My name is Catherine, a food blogger and dessert lover. If I look familiar you may have seen me on NETFLIX's Zumbo’s Just Desserts S2! As an Australian-Chinese pastry chef and recipe developer I share recipes and tips on desserts inspired by amazing flavours, fresh produce and of course my Asian background.

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