Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

taste of summer nectarine custard tart

(1 rating)
Recipe by
Lisa Ann Kelly
Santa Barbara, CA

You know that summer has arrived when you bite into that first peach or apricot or nectarine. I love all fruits, and have many fruit trees in my backyard. Every year, the first tree (stone-fruit) to blossom is my nectarine. The fruits ripen in mid-May and the harvest ends within weeks. Despite the May ripening, these fruits make me feel that summer has arrived. Biting into a sun-ripened, warm nectarine always reminds me of my childhood. Hope you like this recipe from the Santa Barbara News-Press, a 1980s edition. I have tweaked it a bit, and think it rivals any French pastry recipe.

(1 rating)
yield 8 -12
prep time 35 Min
cook time 20 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For taste of summer nectarine custard tart

  • 2 c
    whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/2 tsp
    baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp
    salt
  • 1 c
    sugar, divided
  • 1 c
    butter (2 sticks)
  • 4
    egg yolks
  • 2 c
    sour cream or whole plain yogurt
  • 2 tsp
    vanilla or orange extract
  • 12
    fresh nectarines (may take more or less, depending on size)
  • MOST WONDERFUL FRUIT TART
  • RIVALS ANY FRENCH PASTRY, DELICATE AND DELICIOUS

How To Make taste of summer nectarine custard tart

  • 1
    Combine flour, baking powder, salt and the 1/2 cup of sugar. Cut in butter, using pastry blender (or two butter knives) until crumbly in consistency. Pat this mixture evenly into a buttered 9" x 13" metal baking pan. Try not to have the corners too thick. Remember not to "play" with this pastry too much. Just pat gently into the pan.
  • 2
    Be ready to make your custard while the pastry is baking. Bake pastry @ 400F on low shelf in oven. Check at 8 minutes. Mix together the custard ingredients: egg yolks lightly beaten with the other 1/2 cup sugar. Add sour cream (or yogurt) and your extract of choice (vanilla or orange). Pastry may take 10 to 12 minutes to bake. Make sure it is only lightly browned. Remove from oven. Leave oven on.
  • 3
    Pour your mixed custard evenly over the lightly browned pastry. Make sure to get custard to the corners. Return the pan to the still 400F oven. Bake a further 5-10 minutes, or until custard is set, and no longer jiggly. Do not over bake. Prepare your nectarine slices while the pastry and custard is cooling on a rack. Chill the custard and pastry for five minutes if you like, but it's not absolutely necessary.
  • 4
    Look at the pretty nectarines. I like to leave the skins on. Your tart will taste better the higher quality fruit you use. Organic is best, if you can get it. These nectarines pictured are from my tree.
  • 5
    Slice the nectarines about 1/4 inch thick. Lay them atop custard as shown in photo. This tart is best served after chilling about an hour or more in refrigerator. I can never wait that long and like to eat it straight away. Cut into slices, according to your whim. This recipe has been doubled from original, so it is easy to make only 1/2 if you have a 9" x 9" pan. Hope you like it.
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