peach ricotta tarts with lemon thyme honey
Dessert or appetizer? You choose with these simple, versatile, pretty little puff pastry confections celebrating the current abundance of summertime peaches.
Working with puff pastry is actually one of my pasttimes now, especially after my Smoked Gouda Potato Tart. I am a sucker for a good buttery crust and simple, in-season fillings.
This week here has been a long one, between extended work shifts, workouts, and all the dealings with FMG, but despite the schedule I’ve honestly been thriving in it. Busyness feels good, you know? Even though FMG is still an infant project, I’m rather optimistic about its existence. I’m free to encapsulate the things I love, with the edge ever present in my personality, and I hope all of you can drink it up and thrive in the same capacity with whatever projects you feel inspired to tackle by this site.
Wow, sappy moment, excuse my soap box moment. I really do hope to relate to and inspire some of you. Call it an FMG mission statement.
Anywho, tarts. Publix has the fattest, juiciest freestone peaches ever right now and I’ve gone a bit hogwild in my purchasing. I can actually smell them from where I currently sit at my dining table. Luscious. I fused my love for a ripe peach with the joy of puff pastry to create these easy, fun Peach Thyme Tarts with Honey Whipped Ricotta. The ricotta quite levels up this concoction. J likened it to a fresher riff on a cheese danish. You can think of them as a grown-up poptart, even.
Puff Daddy
These tarts come together in no time, and require just a few ingredients to accomplish.
First, puff pastry. Thaw it out in the fridge for an hour or so, or lay the sheets in the wrapper on the counter for 15-20 minutes for a quicker defrost. When they’re ready, roll them out to 1/4 inch thickness and slice into four rectangles apiece, so six total. Set on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Whip the ricotta in a food processor with honey and lemon zest until satiny smooth. Ricotta is a beautiful cheese to work with since it can be altered to sweeter concoctions or to savory ones. Love it with pasta, love it with pastries. Ricotta for Supreme Court Justice.
Slice up some beautiful peaches and you’re pretty much ready to go.
Peachy Keen
Spread some ricotta in the pastries, leaving about 1/2 inch border, then sprinkle with a bit of fresh basil, assemble the peaches, and fold the pastry edges over to create a little Great Wall of Butter. Press the tines of a fork down on your newly constructed walls to seal.
Set the tray in the freezer for a bit to harden the pastries. This will help them crisp up and turn a beautiful deep golden hue in the oven.
Just before baking, brush the edges with a beaten egg and sprinkle with a bit of flaky salt and pepper. You can omit the pepper if you’re in a dessert mood for the tarts, but I quite enjoy the salt either way. I’m a ho for some extra NaCl.
Bake em up until poofy. While the tarts hang in the oven, I like to mix up a salty thyme and lemon-infused honey to drizzle over the hot pastries when they emerge. You ought to serve them straight from the oven. Do it. Do it.
Try these out with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for a treat, or dish them as a light dinner alongside a big kale salad. Be generous with the honey, it’s honestly my favorite part of the whole shebang. One or two of these dudes is an ideal way to chill out and snack after a long workday.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Looking for more peachy summer recipes?
Peach Melba Ice Cream Loaf Cake
Smoky Peach Thyme Bourbon Twist
peach ricotta tarts with lemon thyme honey
Ingredients
- 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 3 large peaches, pitted and thinly sliced
- 1 egg, beaten
- extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
- In a food processor, combine the ricotta, honey, and lemon zest. Whip until very smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Lay the puff pastry sheets on a flat, lightly floured surface and gently roll to 1/4 inch thickness. Slice each sheet into 4 rectangles (8 total). Lay onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Spread about 2 tablespoons of ricotta on each pastry, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Sprinkle basil on top, then arrange 4-5 peach slices. Fold the edges of the pastries and press with the flat side of the tines of a fork to seal. Set the tray in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Brush each with the beaten egg, then sprinkle with flaky salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Drizzle the pastries with olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden.
- Stir together the honey, thyme, lemon juice, and a big pinch of flaky salt until combined. Drizzle over the warm pastries, serving any extra on the side. Eat fresh from the oven.
