Peaches and Cream Tarte

This is a new seasonal product.  We picked it up at Trader Joe’s the other day when we were invited over to our in-laws for a cook out and were tasked to bring DESSERT.  Let me just say, the last time I had that assignment with this same group of people I failed MISERABLY, and I have not recounted that dreadful experience here yet, but I will!  But for now, let’s focus on the positive – PEACHES AND CREAM TARTE!  (As with all TJ's tarts, the "e" on the end makes it fancy!)

Here's the box, doesn't it look tasty?

We cooked this dessert for 30 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees.  There is also a microwave option listed on the box, but we haven’t tried that yet.  Here is what the reviewers thought of this treat:

David’s opinion (Note: David topped his peaches and cream tarte with vanilla Haagen Dazs ice cream): “The tarte crust, as with all Trader Joe’s tartes, is really good.  The peaches are delicious.  There is something else goin’ on here, and I am not sure everyone else is gonna like this…  there is a little hint of some kind of a creamy thing going on here.  There is a yogurt-y, cream cheese-y thing goin’ on that is different than your straight American sweet fruit pie.  I think it is a valuable addition to the overall palate of pie land.  I am gonna give it a 4.5.”

David before we even tried it - you can tell he expected good things...

Greg (David’s brother, and if you follow this blog and have seen any of his other reviews you will know he is a very harsh judge of food) (Greg also topped his peaches and cream tart with vanilla Haagen Dazs ice cream):  “This was very, very, very good.  Really the best, ever, in the history of the world.  Big-ly (big league) (you may be able to guess what voice Greg was impersonating…).  It has a lovely balance of sour and very sweet.  I didn’t detect the underlying creaminess – it seemed to be just the fruit which I was delighted with, because I liked the fruit.  The crust was superb; crispy but not hard, and delicate.  I would give it a 4.5.  It was great!”

Here is what it looked like out of the box

My opinion:  “I ate half of my piece of the TJ’s tarte, then remembered that we had just picked a bunch of fresh blueberries out of Greg and Joan’s backyard, so I put some of those in with my dessert!  The blueberries were amazing with it because they were tart and were a perfect blend with the sweetness of the peaches.  I think this dessert is really good.  I love the crust!  At first, I thought it was a little too “jam-y” instead of just peachy – the first bite seemed more like pie filling than fruit.  But it only took one more bit for me to get over that issue – I like this tarte very much!  Plus, if you have leftovers I think they would taste amazing for breakfast the next morning.   I also give it a 4.5.”

Chris’ opinion (our college age nephew):  “I agree with most of what has been said.  But unlike most of the other reviewers (the old geezers), I would say the crust was a bit lacking.  I thought it could have had more flavor.  It could have added more to the dish.  (Editor’s note: At this point I felt I HAD to shout the term “snowflake” repeatedly at Chris.  He needed to be brought down a peg.  I mean, the crust on this tarte is amazing!  He was totally wrong in his assessment… 😊 )  I did really like the fruit, and the Haagen Dazs ice cream added a lot, but I think the crust could have been a little bit better.  I would give this a 3.5.”

Here is Chris.  He is a lousy judge of crust.  I mean, he is a good KID and all,
but he wouldn't know a good crust if it bit him in the butt...

Joan (our sister-in-law, also typically a very stern reviewer of food in this blog): “I give this a 4.75.  This is a delightful dessert.  It is very yummy.  I had mine with ice cream and blueberries, I am not sure I would like it quite as much alone since I like complexity of flavors.  However, I thought this was terrific.  The only thing better is my mom’s pie!  But, you have to make the crust and peel the peaches for that, which is a lot of work.  This dessert is a great thing to bring to any summer BBQ you are attending.”

This is a photo of a bird that attended the BBQ.  Isn't he pretty?

There you have it folks!  This one is a winner!!  In fact, now that I have written this up my mouth is watering and wishing that I had one of these tartes to dive into…  Alas, we are 90 minutes away from the closest Trader Joe’s.  Sigh.  Oh well, David is going to be in the TJ’s neighborhood in just a few days and I am making a shopping list for him.  Guess I better add “Peaches and Cream Tarte” to the list!

Price:  $4.99 (CHEAP and well worth the price)

Rating (average of 5 reviewers): 4.5