How is August treating you? We are 3 weeks into school here and getting into the groove of our new schedule. There is a slight, coolness in the mornings here that hints of changes coming but by lunch time it is gone and the sun is blazing and hot! Even though, I am very excited for Fall, I am trying too soak up and enjoy the last days of summer. One of my favorite parts of the summer season is the abundance of fruit in season. I love the stone fruit, melons, and berries so much and right now they are in peak season. It is the PERFECT time to make a Summer Fruit Crostata! You may remember this recipe…it was originally posted in 2010. I felt it is so good that it needed to be brought out of the archives and updated with some new pictures!
A crostata is basically an open faced fruit tart, or free form pie. They are easy to make and taste incredible fresh from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This recipe is from Ina Garten, from her Barefoot Contessa cook books. I usually make her apple crostata, but tried this one with stone fruit and absolutely LOVED it. The tangy plums, with the sweet peaches, sweet crumb topping and buttery flakey crust is simply divine! My family gave this dessert a perfect 10. I love that the recipe makes enough pastry for 2 crostatas. Just wrap the second disc of pastry dough in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer bag and then pop in your freezer for the next time you want to make a crostata.
Maybe next time try this Apple Pear Crostata here. It is equally delicious!!
Summer Fruit Crostata
Ingredients
For the pastry: (makes 2 crostatas)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, diced
- 6 Tb ice water
For the filling: (makes 1 crostata)
- 1 pound firm, ripe peaches, peeled
- 1/2 pound firm, ripe black plums, unpeeled
- 1/2 pint fresh blueberries
- 1 Tb plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tb plus 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp grated orange zest
- 2 Tb freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 4 Tb (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
Instructions
- 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 an hour. If you only need one dough, freeze the second disk.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to the sheet pan.
For the filling:
- Cut the peaches and plums in wedges and place them in a bowl with the blueberries.
- Toss them with 1 Tb of the flour, 1 Tb 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 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.
**A food processor is not a must-have… I don’t have one. You can use a pastry blender or 2 butter knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients, then slowly add the cold water while you toss the mixture with a fork until it starts to come together in a ball…similiar to making a pie crust. Barefoot Contessa instructions are often long and detailed but this recipe is actually not complicated and pretty easy to make!
Recipe Source: Barefoot Contessa
This is now my favorite summer dessert. The pastry is just fabulous. Thanks!
,
This is now my favorite summer dessert. The pastry is just fabulous. Thanks!
,
Hi! I am new to reading your blog, I came across it a bit ago and now I am a follower- I love it!
This looks SO good, I am adding it to my bookmarked to-make recipes!
Hi! I am new to reading your blog, I came across it a bit ago and now I am a follower- I love it!
This looks SO good, I am adding it to my bookmarked to-make recipes!
Oh….YUM! That looks to DIE for. I better hurry and make it before Fall permanately set in.
Oh….YUM! That looks to DIE for. I better hurry and make it before Fall permanately set in.
I absolutely love Barefoot Contessa recipes. This one looks particularly delicious! I just made Barefoot Contessa's tomato and goat cheese tart. If you have time, visit my blog and read my review. 🙂
I absolutely love Barefoot Contessa recipes. This one looks particularly delicious! I just made Barefoot Contessa's tomato and goat cheese tart. If you have time, visit my blog and read my review. 🙂
Brittany, this really is one of my favorite desserts now! The day after you made it, I found myself craving it all day. I'll have to get mom to make this with me one more time before peach season is over. It was sooooo good!
Brittany, this really is one of my favorite desserts now! The day after you made it, I found myself craving it all day. I'll have to get mom to make this with me one more time before peach season is over. It was sooooo good!
This is making me sad that summer is coming to an end. It looks so delicious and you're right – a big fat scoop of vanilla ice cream would go perfect with this treat.
This is making me sad that summer is coming to an end. It looks so delicious and you're right – a big fat scoop of vanilla ice cream would go perfect with this treat.
I've been following this blog for some time now, so thought it was about time to pop in and say "hi. This has to be my favorite cooking blog. Thank you for your generosity in sharing such wonderful recipes!
I've been following this blog for some time now, so thought it was about time to pop in and say "hi. This has to be my favorite cooking blog. Thank you for your generosity in sharing such wonderful recipes!