Individual Carolina Peach Tarte Tatins With Lemon Ice Cream Food

INDIVIDUAL PEACH TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a saucepan until it bubbles. Add the sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add the vanilla bean and cinnamon stick and stir to combine, pressing on the vanilla bean to bring out the vanilla seeds inside. Continue simmering until caramel in color, about 5 minutes. The mixture might not look smooth and blended at this point.
• Stir in the brandy, lemon juice and orange zest and continue cooking until smooth, about 5 minutes more. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F and arrange the ramekins on a cookie sheet. Pour 2 tablespoons of caramel into the bottom of each ramekin. Arrange 1 peach half in each ramekin. Pour a little more caramel over the peaches and bake until the caramel is bubbling and the peaches are almost tender, 15 to 20 minutes. (The recipe can be made up to this point, cooled to room temperature, and refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.)
• Meanwhile, use a cutter or sharp knife, cut the puff pastry into 12 rounds, slightly larger than the diameter of your ramekins (they will shrink during the baking). Remove the ramekins from the oven and turn it up to 425 degrees F. Top each ramekin with a round of puff pastry and bake until the pastry is golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Let cool at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours. When ready to serve, re-warm the tarts slightly to loosen the caramel by placing them in a shallow pan of very hot water, or on a flame tamer on your stovetop, set over medium heat. Unmold upside down onto small plates and serve, with the peaches up and the pastry on the bottom.

PEACH TARTE TATINS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Blanch peaches in boiling water 15 to 20 seconds; remove with a slotted spoon. Use a paring knife to peel and cut peaches in half. Remove pits, and reserve four peach halves. Quarter remaining peach halves.
• Butter four 5-inch tart pans with removable bottoms; dust with sugar. Arrange eight peach segments around edge of each pan, and place a reserved peach half cut side up in the center. Loosely wrap bottoms of pans with foil; place on baking sheet. Bake until peaches are tender and sugar and juices start to caramelize, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes.
• Cover tart pans with a layer of plastic wrap, and place another baking sheet on top to gently flatten peaches. Place filled cans or other weights on top of the baking sheet, and transfer to refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.
• Raise oven temperature to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry to 1/8 inch thick, and cut out four 5 1/2-inch circles. Place rounds on buttered rimmed baking sheet, and transfer to freezer for 10 minutes. Remove from freezer, and place another baking sheet, buttered on the bottom, on top of the pastry rounds. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 30 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool.
• Make caramel sauce: Combine remaining 3/4 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons butter with the water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, gently swirling pan occasionally to evenly color, until caramel is a medium amber color, 6 to 8 minutes. Wash down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Remove from heat, and slowly add heavy cream, stirring to combine. Be careful when adding cream to the caramel, as it will bubble vigorously. Set aside.
• Remove tarts from refrigerator, and place a pastry crust on top of each. Invert onto serving plates; pour about 3 tablespoons caramel sauce over each. Garnish with pistachios or sugared almonds, if desired. Serve immediately.