This dessert had me at HELLO! Actually it had me at ALMOND because I love an almond dessert. The lure of almonds was the push I needed to try my hand at this crostata because, I'll admit, it seemed somewhat daunting at first. Like how does the fruit actually stay in there without spilling over the sides? I wanted to try something different though, something that wasn't a cobbler or a crisp. I honestly don't think I'd ever eaten a crostata or a galette before. Time to try new things!
I went for it, as you can see, and I was pleasantly surprised that the crostata stayed intact throughout baking. It was also quite delicious, though I shouldn't be so surprised because it's a recipe from Suzanne Goin. Her cookbook, Sunday Suppers at Luques is one of my favorites and contains many desserts that I make over and over. You must try her Financier Cake! I told you I love almonds.
I'm declaring this crostata the summer dessert to make right now! You will be rewarded with a sweet, soft almond crust and a tart, fruity filling. It feeds a crowd (up to 12), it can be served room temperature, and it's the perfect accompaniment to ice cream-as if you needed an excuse! For the record, I served it with homemade cinnamon ice cream, and it was pure heaven. Go forth and bake!
Ingredients
- 4 oz blanched almonds
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, soft
- 2 Tbsp. AP flour
- 1 Tbsp. brandy or rum
- 1 extra-large egg
- 1 extra-large egg yolk
- 3 yellow nectarines, 1 lb.
- 4 Tbsp. sugar
- 2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 pint berries, optional
- 2 Tbsp. heavy cream
- 2 1/4 cups AP flour
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 3 Tbsp. cornmeal
Instructions
- Place flour, salt, sugar, and corn meal in a food processor and pulse.
- Add butter and pulse until it resembles a coarse meal.
- While the blade is spinning, pour in 4 Tbsp. ice water. Stop when the mixture clumps together.
- Form the dough into a ball and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Combine the almonds and powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse until you have a coarse meal.
- Add butter, flour, brandy, egg & yolk, and blend until smooth, set the almond cream aside.
- Slice nectarines and add 3 Tbsp. sugar, and the fresh orange and lemon juices.
- Preheat oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll the dough out into a 14 inch circle and place on the baking sheet.
- Spread the almond cream in the center, leaving a 3 inch border.
- Layer the nectarines and berries, if using, on top of the filling.
- Fold the dough over the fruit in overlapping folds and place in the freezer for 15 minutes. This step is very important and ensures your crust will stay together while baking.
- Brush the dough with the heavy cream and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar.
- Bake for 35 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350° and continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes.
Notes
*If you are using only berries, or are concerned the fruit may spill over while cooking, add 2 tsp. of cornstarch to your fruit mixture before placing on the almond cream.
Sounds delish. I know the fog one
certainly was! Thanks again for all your
wonderful meals while we visited Bo and
Caroline.
Oops Fig