Ingredients:

  • 250g high-quality all-butter puff pastry, chilled
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp coarse turbinado sugar
  • 3 large fresh peaches, sliced into 1/4-inch wedges
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup apricot preserves, melted and strained
  • Fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

Instructions:

  1. Cut your 3 large peaches into uniform 1/4 inch wedges until they look like a deck of golden cards.
  2. Toss the slices with 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste, 1/4 tsp cardamom, and 1 tsp lemon zest. Let this sit for 15 minutes; the sugar will draw out the juices to create a natural syrup.
  3. Unroll your 250g of chilled puff pastry onto a parchment lined tray.
  4. Cut the pastry into 8 equal rectangles.
  5. Use a paring knife to lightly score a 1/2 inch border around each rectangle, being careful not to cut all the way through.
  6. Whisk the 1 large egg with 1 tbsp water and brush only the borders.
  7. Prick the middle of each pastry rectangle with a fork about 5-6 times.
  8. Lay the peach wedges inside the scored border, overlapping them slightly.
  9. Sprinkle the 2 tbsp turbinado sugar over the egg washed borders.
  10. Place in a preheated 200°C oven for 20 minutes until the edges are puffed high and deep mahogany gold.
  11. While warm, brush the peaches with the melted and strained 1/4 cup apricot preserves.
  12. Finish with a few tiny leaves of fresh thyme for an earthy contrast.