Mom’s Peach Torte
My Mom was an incredible cook with dozens of fabulous recipes in her repertoire. When it came to baking, she had a few select recipes that she called on for company or a special occasion. This Peach Torte is one of them and a prized recipe in my collection. It is easy to make, impressive to serve and absolutely delicious with its shortbread base and its simple fruit topping.
You can use caned peaches – which is terribly convenient in the months where fresh local peaches are not available – and a couple of fresh peaches for a design garnish if they are available. When fresh local peaches are in season and available to you, use them and you are in for such a treat!
Ingredients
Shortbread Base
1 cup all purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar
½ cup softened butter
1 Tbsp white vinegar
¼ tsp salt
Peach Filling
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup sugar
3 cups sliced or coarsely chopped peaches – I leave the skin on. (Option: 1 large can of sliced peaches)
How it’s Made
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Line a 9” round spring form pan with parchment paper. I find I do not need to grease the paper, but do so if you wish. If you use the pan without parchment paper, then grease and dust the pan with breadcrumbs or flour. Trick: cornmeal also works to stop baked goods from sticking!
Base
Combine the Base ingredients with a fork until it is mixed well.
Press the base mixture very firmly and evenly into the prepared pan and up the sides a ½” to make a rim.
Peach Filling
Mix the flour, cinnamon and sugar together in a bowl, then gently add in the peaches stirring until the peaches are coated.
Spread the peach mixture over the base.
Place the springform pan on a cookie sheet to catch any peach juice leaks.
Bake for 1 hour. Let cool and remove the rim from the pan.
Serve warmed or at room temperature. A dollop of whipped cream or whipped coconut cream is heaven!
Store any leftover torte in the fridge.
Enjoy!
Tip
To soften butter – leave it out, covered, overnight at room temperature or microwave the butter in 15 second increments until it is soft
Variations
The torte can be may a day in advance of serving.
If using canned peaches with a couple of fresh peaches (as in the photos), you can use the fresh peaches in a design on the top.
There are no eggs in this recipe and if you substitute the butter in the crust for ghee or coconut oil, it becomes a vegan dessert.
To make this Gluten Free, I use Bob’s 1to1 Gluten Free Baking Flour in place of the all-purpose flour.
If you want to use a natural sugar, substitute coconut sugar in the base and use ¼ cup maple syrup and ¼ cup coconut sugar in the Fruit Topping.
Use other fruits – apples or pears are wonderful in this torte. If no nut allergies, sprinkle some sliced almonds or pecans over top before baking if using one or a combination of these fruits.