Peach and Brown Butter Tart

Add the flour, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and cardamom to a food processor and pulse until smooth, about 3 times for 3 seconds each. Add the butter and pulse intermittently until the mixture has a somewhat sandy consistency and the largest pieces of butter are about the size of a grain of rice.

Whisk together the egg yolk, cream, and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Add egg yolk mixture to food processor and pulse 4 to 6 times for 2 seconds each. The dough will start to form on the bottom, but the top may still feel a little dry and that’s fine.

Pour the mixture onto a clean work surface and use your fingertips + to tamp the dough into a rough mass, working quickly. This should take no more than 30 seconds. Take a handful of dough and place it on the work surface. Then use the palm of your hand to apply light pressure and push the dough onto the surface away from you. Set aside and repeat with the remaining dough.

Collect all the pieces of dough and form a ball, then form a circle and roll it out until it is about one centimeter thick. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove the foil and, on a well-floured surface, roll out the dough to 3/16 inch thickness before using a rolling pin to gently roll/wrap the crust around the pin and *very carefully* transfer + unroll the crust onto a greased 10-inch cake pan. If it tears a little, that’s okay. Press the edges and corners of the pan well and repair any tears with excess dough. Trim any excess, prick crust with fork at 1-inch intervals. Then cover and freeze the pan for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the pan from the freezer and remove the cling film. Line the inside of the crust with parchment paper and add pie weights or dried beans to weigh down the crust. Bake for 15 minutes, then gently remove the parchment paper and weights and return the tart to the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the inside of the crust with egg white, then bake for another 10 minutes. Remove and set aside while you prepare the filling.

When making browned butter, it’s best to use a stainless steel pan so you can see the butter change in color. Heat the butter in a large, shallow pan over medium heat until melted. Swirl the pan slightly every couple of minutes to help it cook evenly. Over the course of a few minutes, you will notice that the foam at the top of the butter will begin to change from light yellow to light brown. Watch VERY carefully, as it can go from being brown to burning very quickly. Once it reaches the light brown stage and the butter appears light brown and golden, smell it. It should smell nutty and caramel-like. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to reheat.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the sugar and eggs on medium-high speed until light and silky, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and slowly add melted butter in a single thin stream. If the butter is added too quickly and when it is too hot it can cause the eggs to curdle, so be careful. Add the honey, rum, vanilla extract and salt and mix until smooth. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and mix the flour into the dough until *just* combined, being careful not to overmix.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the pie pan (with the pre-baked crust still inside) on a rimmed baking sheet to make it easier to insert and remove from the oven. Arrange half of the peach slices in a circular pattern on the bottom of the tart, then pour the mixture on top. Then arrange the remaining half of the peach slices in a circular pattern so they are visible above the batter.

Place the pan in the oven and bake until the filling is golden and set, about 45-50 minutes. It shouldn’t be liquid in the center, you can test by tilting the pan slightly towards you to see how much it moves. If there is significant movement in the center, cook it for another 5 to 10 minutes and check again. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before removing the tart from the mold. Cut and enjoy!