Spiced Crostata with Nectarines

 

 

It’s Nectarine season! Well, it’s the end of nectarine season, but I may have bought a few too many because they looked so good. I had a variety of fresh white and frozen yellow nectarines. I bought a small crate of yellow and when they started to soften (and I realized I couldn’t eat them all before they turned to total mush) I cut them up and placed them on layers of wax paper in my freezer. After a day, peal them off the paper and put them in a freezer bag, they’ll last around 6 months this way. I saw an article in Sunset Magazine for 38 Ways with Summer Stone Fruit and knew this Crostata was the perfect option for my excess of Nectarines. The crust turned out crisp and flakey, it has slightly more butter in it than a typical pie crust which gave it a dense puff pastry like texture.

For the Crust

1 1/2 Cups Flour

1/4 tsp Salt

3/4 Cup Cold Butter

For the Filling

About 2/3 Cup Sugar

3 Tbsp Cornstarch

3/4 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 Tsp Nutmeg

1/8 tsp Cloves

1/8 tsp Allspice

1 1/2 Mixed White & Yellow Nectarines, Pitted & Sliced 1/2 in. Wide

2 tsp coarse white sparkling sugar

Sprinkle 1 tbsp. ice water over mixture; gently stir and toss with a fork.

Repeat to add 4 to 6 more tbsp. ice water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until dough is evenly moistened and a pinch of it holds together.

Gather into a disk, wrap airtight, and chill at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400°.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough into a 13-in. circle, using a floured rolling pin; occasionally slide a metal spatula under dough and re-flour underneath.

Cut around edge of dough with a pastry wheel or knife to neaten. Lift dough to a baking sheet and chill about 15 minutes.

Combine 2/3 cup granulated Sugar, the Cornstarch, and Spices in a medium bowl. If Nectarines are tart, add a few more Tbsp. of Sugar to the Spice mixture.

Stir in Fruit until Cornstarch is moistened, then spoon Fruit onto pastry right away, leaving a 1 1/2 in. rim uncovered.

Fold and pleat rim over Fruit. Brush rim with water and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake until filling bubbles and crust is browned, 40 to 45 minutes.

Cool on pan on a rack at least 1 hour.