Nectarine Plum Crostata Recipes

Steps:

• For the pastry:
• Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and toss quickly (and carefully!) with your fingers to coat each cube of butter with the flour. Pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board, roll it into a ball, cut in half, and form into 2 flat disks. Wrap the disks in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. If you only need 1 disk of dough The other disk of dough can be frozen.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to the baking sheet.
• For the pastry (makes 2 crostatas) .
• For the filling:
• Cut the peaches and plums in wedges and place them in a bowl with the blueberries. Toss them with 1 tablespoon of the flour, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the orange zest, and the orange juice. Place the mixed fruit on the dough circle, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.
• Combine the 1/4 cup flour, the 1/4 cup sugar, and the salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts to hold together. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Gently fold the border of the pastry over the fruit, pleating it to make an edge.
• Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender. Let the crostata cool for 5 minutes, then use 2 large spatulas to transfer it to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Make the filling: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Toss the nectarines, plums, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, lemon juice and salt in a large bowl.
• Make the topping: Combine the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl, then stir in the hazelnuts. Work in the butter with your fingers until clumpy.
• Spread the filling and any juices in the prepared dish. Pinch handfuls of the topping into clumps and scatter over the filling. Bake until the topping is browned and the filling is bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a large saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in apple juice until smooth. Stir in plums and nectarines. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil; cook 1-2 minutes longer or until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. , Remove from the heat; cool for 10 minutes. Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. , In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Make a well in the center; stir in buttermilk just until a soft dough forms. Drop by tablespoonfuls over fruit mixture. Bake until golden brown, 30-35 minutes. Serve warm, with ice cream if desired.

Steps:

• Mix flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Work butter into flour mixture with hands or a pastry blender until it resembles coarse meal. Add enough cold water to bring dough together into a ball, handling dough as little as possible. Wrap dough ball in plastic wrap. Chill at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Roll the dough into a free form circle, approximately 14-inches in diameter. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle center of dough with 1/4 cup of flour. Toss nectarines, plums and blueberries with 1 cup of sugar. Spread mixture in center of dough to within 3 inches of edge. Fold dough border over the mixture, leaving a circle uncovered in the center. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and fruit is tender.
• Dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature with creme fraiche.

Steps:

• For the dough: In a standing mixer with a paddle blend together flour, sugar and lemon zest. Add butter and continue mixing on low until sandy looking. Meanwhile whisk together egg and yolk. Add to flour/butter mixture and blend on low just until it comes together. Form into a ball and chill.
• Roll dough out to a 14-inch circle and place on a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Fold over 1/2 inch of the crust to form a rustic edge. Spread jam on center of tart then fan around wedges of plums and dot with raspberries. Drizzle honey over plums, brush edge with cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake at 375 until fruit is tender and crust is cooked on the under side, about 25 to 30 minutes.
• Note: You may use frozen raspberries if fresh is not available. Also if you can't find coarse sugar, use raw sugar.

Steps:

• To prepare crust, stir together flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Add butter; cut in with the back of a fork until butter is reduced to oatmeal-size pieces. Add 3 tablespoons ice water; toss until moist clumps form, adding more water as needed if dough is too dry. Gather into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day. To prepare filling, stir together sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Add fruit and vanilla and toss well to coat. Let stand for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, roll out dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured board. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet; spoon fruit and juices into the center leaving a 2-inch border of dough on the outside. Brush border of dough with egg wash. Fold up and over fruit to partially enclose (center 6-inches of fruit should be uncovered). Brush dough with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake in preheated 375°F oven for 55 minutes or until crust is golden brown and fruit filling is bubbling at the edges. Remove from oven and loosen tart from parchment with a spatula. Brush with fruit preserves. Slide onto a rack and let cool for 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream. Makes 8 servings. March 2008 California Grown

Steps:

• In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, pulse together the flours, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt until blended. In a measuring cup, lightly beat the egg, and add just enough cream to get to 1/3 cup. Lightly whisk the egg and cream together.
• Add the butter to the flour mixture and pulse to break up the butter. Do not over-process; you need lima-bean-size chunks of butter. Drizzle the egg mixture over the dough and pulse until it just starts to come together but is still mostly large crumbs.
• Put the dough on the counter and knead to make one uniform piece. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill for 2 hours or up to 3 days.
• Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll the dough out to a 12-inch round (it can be ragged). Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and chill while preparing the filling.
• Toss together the plums, all but a tablespoon of the remaining sugar, a pinch of salt and the cornstarch. Pile fruit on the dough circle, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Gently fold the pastry over the fruit, pleating to hold it in (sloppy is fine). Brush pastry with cream. Sprinkle remaining sugar on top, with the thyme.
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender. Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Remove the thyme branches (some leaves will cling; you want this). Serve warm or at room temperature.