Peach Basil Tart

Oh my. This is hands down my new favorite dessert. It’s like taking a bite of summer. The sweet peaches and basil taste so fresh atop the light and flaky puff pastry, and the lemon zest adds a brightness that finishes the combination off perfectly. I kind of want to have a cookout just so I can serve this for dessert. I can’t wait for you all to try it.

A few months back I picked up a copy of the Weight Watchers PointsPlus Cookbook and was immediately intrigued by a recipe it had for a French Apple Tart using a sheet of puff pastry dough. Since I didn’t want to wait until apple season to try it out (I still might make it for you all in the Fall) I thought a peach tart would be a perfect seasonal substitute. I started brainstorming flavors I thought would taste good with peaches and decided on fresh ginger (which I still think would also be delicious). On the way home from purchasing said ginger, I had an epiphany: basil. I turned my car right around and went back to the store, and I’m really glad I did. I wanted another really fresh tasting summer flavor to complement the peaches and basil and a little lemon zest worked perfectly.

This is a great dessert to serve guests because it looks beautiful, colorful and impressive, but it’s so simple you can easily throw it together for a weeknight treat for your family. At only 120 calories or 3 Weight Watchers Points+ per slice, this is a dessert you can feel good about.

 

Peach Basil Tart

Source: inspired by the French Apple Tart in the Weight Watchers Points Plus Cookbook

Ingredients:

3 large peaches

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (I used Pepperidge Farms brand which comes with 2 sheets in a box)

6 T granulated sugar, divided

1 t all-purpose flour (plus a little bit to flour the surface of your workspace when you work with the pastry dough)

1 t fresh lemon zest (for me this about equaled the zest from 1 large lemon)

2 t chopped fresh basil, divided (or more to taste, if desired)

 

Directions:

1.    Preheat the oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside (I used a 10 x 15” baking sheet).

2.    Slice the peaches open and remove the pits. Cut the peaches into thin slices (about ¼” thick). Set aside.

3.    Lightly flour your workspace surface and unfold the thawed puff pastry sheet onto the floured space. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the pastry sheet out to be a 10” x 14” rectangle. Place the pastry rectangle onto the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

4.    In a small dish, combine one tablespoon of the sugar with the teaspoon of flour and stir. In a separate small bowl, combine the remaining 5 tablespoons of sugar, the lemon zest, and one teaspoon of the chopped basil. Massage the lemon zest and basil into the sugar with your fingers until combined.

5.    Leaving about 1/2” around the edges, sprinkle the flour mixture across the surface of the pastry rectangle. Line the peach slices onto the pastry in three long rows, overlapping the slices. Sprinkle the sugar/lemon/basil mixture evenly over the top of the peach slices.

6.    Bake for about 35 minutes or until the edges are browned and the peaches are cooked through and tender. Let the tart cool for a few minutes and then sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon of chopped basil (or more if desired). Cut tart into 12 equal pieces (I used a pizza cutter to slice lengthwise between each row of peaches to form three long sections and then I just cut each of those into four equal pieces) and serve.

Yields 12 servings. WW P+: 3 per serving (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)

Nutrition Information per serving from myfitnesspal.com: 120 calories, 18 g carbs, 5 g fat, 2 g protein, 1 g fiber