Cream Cheese Nectarine Tart

Celebrate summer with this delicious nectarine cream cheese tart. Fresh nectarines in cream cheese (instead of frangipane) filling baked in a buttery rich shortcrust pastry. A surprisingly simple and easy recipe to make dessert in no time at all.

Ingredients

Makes one 9-inch Tart

Shortcrust pastry

▢ 1 ½ cup (190 g) All-purpose flour
▢ 8 tablespoon (113 g) Butter unsalted, room temperature
▢ ½ cup (60 g) Powdered sugar
▢ ⅛ teaspoon Salt
▢ 1 Egg yolk large
▢ 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
▢ 1 tablespoon Milk

Cream cheese filling

Plus

▢ 4 Nectarines large (or 6 small)

Instructions

Shortcrust pastry

In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar for just a minute until well combined. Add the vanilla extract, salt, and egg yolk. Next, add the flour. Combine well.
Pro tip - do not over cream as we do not want to add too much air into the dough.
Make a disc and wrap it in plastic wrap. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least two hours until firm to roll. I prefer to chill overnight
Pro tip - If you flatten the dough into a larger disc it will chill faster and you will have to wait for much less time.
Roll the chilled dough on a lightly dusted surface dusted with flour to the size of a 9-inch tart pan.
Pro tip - this dough is delicate so it must be well chilled before rolling. Alternatively, it is easier to roll it between parchment papers.
Transfer the dough to the tart pan. Gently press the dough into the tart pan making sure to press down into the shape of the pan. Remove the excess dough and neaten the edges of the tart pan,
Pro tip - I like to roll my rolling pin over the tart to cut off the excess around the edges. Then neaten the edges by running your thumb along the edges.
Chill the crust in the fridge for 15 minutes up to 48 hours.
Pro tip - if leaving for a long time make sure to wrap in plastic so it does not dry out.
Preheat the oven at 400°F / 200°C/ Gas Mark 6
Pro tip- it is very essential that the oven is heated to the optimal temperature otherwise the crust can shrink when baking.
Dock the chilled pastry all over with a fork to prevent the pastry from puffing up. Line the pie with parchment paper. Then, fill the center with pie weights or baking beans (dry beans)
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the pie weights and parchment paper. Cool for 5 minutes before adding the filling.
Pro tip - this is called blind baking the crust. We do this so that the pastry will be partially cooked before we add the filling.
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F/ 177°C/ Gas mark 4

Prepare Fruit

Wash and pat dry the nectarines. Chop each in half - remove the seed. Slice each half into slices but keep the half shape intact.
Pro tip - cut the fruit just before you are going to use it so it won't oxidize or release too much juices.

Cream cheese filling

Combine all filling ingredients in a bowl. Use a whisk to ensure no lumps.

Assemble & Bake

Pour the filling into the pre-baked pastry shell. Gently pick the sliced nectarine halves and arrange them in the tart
Pro tip - You want the halves to say intact but at a slight angle.
Continue to bake the tart for an additional 30 to 35 minutes or until the cream cheese looks set. Cool completely before serving.
Pro tip - Place the tart on a baking tray for each cleanup in case of spillage. If the tart edges brown to quickly cover the edges with aluminum foil or a pie shield
Chill the pie for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight before serving.
Pro tip - Cooling the tart will help the filling set and taste so much better.

Recipe Notes

For homemade pastry keep the pastry chilled at all times. A chilled pastry will roll beautifully and will not shrink during baking.
The shortcrust pastry should be rolled thin so you have enough space for filling. Thick pastry when cut, is like a thick biscuit with very little filling.
Rich shortcrust pastry is best rolled between two sheets of parchment paper especially when you are new to pastry making.
Do not skip pre-baking the tart. Prebaking the shell ensures the pastry is partially cooked before you add the delicate filling in the tart. The result is a crisp beautiful crust.
Also, avoid cutting the fruit ahead of time - this will prevent any oxidization, as well as prevent the fruit from releasing too much juice ahead of time. Use fruits as soon as they are cut.
Cover the edges of the tart if it starts to brown too much. You can use a pie shield or aluminum foil over the edges.

The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you

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