Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prepare pastry shells
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment; lightly flour a work surface and gently roll the thawed puff pastry to smooth seams and reach about a 12×12-inch square.
- Cut four 4-inch rounds and gently press each into a greased 4-cavity tart pan or into muffin cups, forming a shallow well about 1/2 inch deep; prick bottoms lightly with a fork and chill shells in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
Blind-bake
- Line chilled shells with small parchment rounds and fill with pie weights or dried beans; bake at 400°F for 10–12 minutes until edges are puffed and lightly golden, remove weights and parchment, then bake 2–4 more minutes to dry the centers; cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
Assemble and bake
- Reduce oven to 375°F. Stir together cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth and spread about 1 tablespoon into each shell to form a thin barrier.
- Arrange peach slices over the cream cheese in a single layer, overlapping slightly, and bake at 375°F for 10–12 minutes until peaches soften and pastry edges are golden.
Glaze and finish
- Warm honey and lemon juice together until pourable and brush lightly over hot peaches as soon as tarts come from the oven; cool in the pan for 15 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling for another 10–15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Use thawed but still-cool puff pastry for best layers; a thin cream cheese layer prevents soggy crusts. If peaches are very juicy, shorten the final bake by a couple of minutes. Do not freeze assembled tarts; freeze unbaked shaped shells only.
