Peach Crostata

Summer used to be my favorite season when I was still in school because it signified the end of a school year and the beginning of a three-month vacation that I could fill with good books, trips to the beach, afternoon naps on a hammock, and nights of star-watching. I envy my teenage self now that I no longer have the luxury of summer vacation. But there is one thing I look forward to every summer, peach season. The ripest and the sweetest of peaches you can find are in the middle of the summer heat.

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I haven’t found many ways to bake with peaches because I really love them just the way they are. But then again, anything is infinitely better if you throw some buttery flaky pastry in the mix; hence, the peach crostata. Quicker than a traditional pie, and perfect for a midday snack. I feel that pie is too fancy as a snack, although I’ve had pie for breakfast before…

I’ll have a warm slice of peach crostata with a scoop of lactose-free vanilla bean ice cream, and some whipped cream on top… my perfect summer afternoon snack.

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Peach Crostata

Serves 6 to 8

Author: Wild Wild Whisk

Ingredients

For the filling

• 4 ripe peach
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

For the crust

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 5 oz unsalted butter 1 stick + 2 tablespoon
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoon cold water

Egg wash

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• Turbinado sugar for sprinkling on the crust

Instructions

1. Pit and cut the peaches into thin slices. Toss with 1/4 cup of sugar. Set aside.
2. Put flour, sugar and salt in the food processor and pulse to mix. Cube the butter and add to the flour mixture. Make sure butter is cold. Pulse several times until butter is about pea size and mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough starts to pull together. Be mindful not to overmix, you still want chunks of butter in the dough to create a flaky crust.
4. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured board and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic and rest in the refrigerator for an hour.
5. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
6. Roll the dough out to about a 12” circle on a lightly floured parchment paper.
7. Arrange the peaches on the dough or just spoon everything in the middle, leaving a 1” to 1.5” border. Fold the extra dough in to cover the fruit on the outer edge.
8. Beat an egg with a tablespoon of milk to make egg wash. Brush egg wash on the crust and sprinkle liberally with turbinado sugar.
9. Slide the parchment paper with the prepared pastry onto a baking sheet and bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
10. Let crostata cool on a wire rack. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream!

Recipe Notes

The peaches were really ripe and juicy which cause the bottom crust to be a bit soggy. Add 2 tablespoon of flour to the fruit mixture to thicken up the juice.