White Peach Crostata
There’s no doubt about it. Come summer, the luscious peach rocks the fruit world. Succulent and heavily scented, sporting their peachy blush, they are piled high at Farmer’s Markets and grocery stores everywhere. Their message is “Summer has Arrived.”
And the White Peach is the rarefied peach, sweet and low in acid. Slightly smaller than the classic Elberta and lacking its pinky orange coloring, these peaches have the most delicate perfume and understated color. Lately I have been putting a white peach in my morning cereal, and I am struck by the beautiful color with which the peach imbues the milk. The very palest peachy pink, it is quite lovely.
Aside from their wonderful flavor and delicate color, white peaches have a couple of characteristics that make them much easier to work with than the classic peach. Their skin is more tender than other varieties and their flesh, even when ripe, remains firm. And in the food prep arena, the pit of a white peach is surprisingly easy to remove. Just cut the fruit in half, and holding one half in each hand, gently turn the halves in opposite directions. The peach will offer little resistance, opening apart cleanly and evenly with the pit remaining in one half. The pit is easily lifted out. This is one hassle free fruit.
There was a time when the season for this alluring fruit was a brief two weeks, but thanks to modern hybridizers, white peaches can remain available for up to four months. That’s all summer for those of you who are counting. It seems that everyone is writing about them now, so I figured I’d pile on with a White Peach Crostata.
White Peach Crostata
Crostate are Italy’s answer to the French tart or the American pie. All you need is a round of pastry and some fruit. You can make these as large or small as you want. Less fussy than a tart and requiring less effort than a fruit pie, they are one of my favorite summer desserts. I like to use Italian 00 flour, an all-purpose flour that is milled to a fine texture, however American all-purpose flour will perform beautifully. I also added lievito (Italian baking powder) to the dough. It gives a bit of lift and tenderizes the crust while also aiding in browning. The lievito contains a touch of powdered vanilla for flavor. If you have no lievito, substitute American style baking powder and add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract along with the ice water. Both 00 flour and lievito are available at Italian markets and Amazon.
Crust
1 1/2 cups 00 or all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon lievito OR baking powder plus 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 20 chunks
3 tablespoons ice water
Filling
1 1/2 pounds white peaches, ripe, but firm
4 tablespoons Demerara sugar, divided
1 teaspoon 00 flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Glaze
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water
Chantilly Cream
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Make crust: Place flour, powdered sugar, salt and lievito (or baking powder) in bowl of food processor fitted with steel knife. Pulse twice to combine. Remove lid and scatter butter over flour mixture. Replace lid and pulse several times until mixture takes on the appearance of coarse meal and a few chunks of butter remain unprocessed. With machine, running pour ice water through feed tube and process until mixture just comes together. Remove dough from processor, form into disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate thirty minutes.
Thirty minutes before baking place pizza stone on lower oven rack of oven Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Prepare fruit: Wash peaches. Do not peel. Cut in half, remove pit. Cut each half into 12 pieces. Place slices in medium bowl, and add lemon juice, tossing to coat as you work. Add 2 tablespoons Demerara sugar, flour, and vanilla extract. Toss gently to combine. Set aside.
Assemble crostata: Roll dough into a 12 inch circle on Silpat or lightly floured parchment. Transfer Silpat (or parchment) with dough to baking sheet. Arrange cut peaches on the center of dough, leaving a 2 inch border. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon Demerara sugar over peaches and dot with butter. Fold border over fruit, pleating as you go.
Finish the crostata: Make an egg wash by beating egg together with water. Brush lightly over dough. (You will not use all the egg wash.) Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon Demerara sugar over dough. Place on preheated pizza stone on lower rack of oven, and bake 28 to 30 minutes until crust is golden. Remove from oven and place on rack to cool slightly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or Chantilly Cream.
Make Chantilly Cream: Combine all ingredients and beat until cream mounds softly. Chill until ready to use.
Three Peach pix from Wikipedia
I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.
Monday, August 13th 2012 at 12:42 am |
Nice recipe – I’ve only ever tried it with cooked peaches – marmellata – but this sounds a lot easier.
Monday, August 13th 2012 at 7:56 am |
Hi Mette,
It really is easy. And has such a nice flavor. I hope you have a go with this one. I bet you will like it. And if you miss white peach season, this recipe will work with any stone fruit.
Monday, August 13th 2012 at 4:16 am |
You have me craving white peaches, something that’s available here in New Jersey only for about a month. This crostata is a thing of beauty and I can only imagine how delicious it tastes with those perfum-y white peaches. It’s off to the farmer’s market to get some this week before they’re gone.
Monday, August 13th 2012 at 8:06 am |
Hi Linda,
Only a month! Oh my, what a state of deprivation, so to speak. We can get them here virtually all summer now. And this year they have been particularly good and so plentiful that everyone is just eating them all the time. I remember when we too had a short season, and the white peaches were treated like gems, singly wrapped at the specialty greengrocers. Over the last few years California growers have planted more and more of the trees ensuring a massive harvest.
I am so glad you stopped by, and thank you so much for the kind words. I hope you find lots at the Farmer’s Market.
Monday, August 13th 2012 at 6:04 am |
This looks really good. I think I will make one for a party this weekend. Great looking peaches. Where do you find them? A farmers market or at a grocery store?
Monday, August 13th 2012 at 8:09 am |
Ciao Toni,
Thanks, this really was a nice one. We have been buying them at Costco. For weeks now they have had huge boxes of them, and the peaches have been uniform size, all really good, just perfect. Surprisingly so, in fact. So try Costco – otherwise the grocery store or a Farmer’s Market will do.
Monday, August 13th 2012 at 9:23 am |
As usual, you tempt me with your sumptuous photos. My husband’s birthday is this weekend and he is a lover of peach pie. This recipe looks like an excellent birthday pie for him. I’m going to Costco this week so I’ll pick up a box and give it a try. Thanks again for your great recipes.
Monday, August 13th 2012 at 10:32 am |
Hi Elizabeth,
Well please say happy birthday to your husband for for me. I hope he enjoys this one. We just gobbled it up. I am glad you enjoy the recipes. I have a blast working on them, and my husband enjoys his job as taster and first critic!
Monday, August 13th 2012 at 9:46 am |
What a great summer pastry. Yum
Monday, August 13th 2012 at 10:36 am |
Hi Anthony,
I am glad this appeals to you. It is Summertime in a crust; that’s for sure. And you are right about the perfume; a dab of Un Bateau pour Capri on my shoulder and a silk scarf on my head is all I need. By the way, I am glad you like the sunglasses; they are Chanel. See, I am all set for the trip!
Friday, August 17th 2012 at 10:25 am |
Adri– you take such beautiful pictures and make such delicious-looking crostata. I love white peaches, they’re about as good as it gets and that crostata looks heavenly!
Friday, August 17th 2012 at 10:53 am |
Hi Trisha,
Why, thank you! I can’t tell you how much I enjoy hearing from readers, especially when the words are so complimentary! White peaches really are the end, aren’t they? When I was a kid, I did not appreciate them at all. Now, as an adult, I have come to love them. Perhaps that is due to the remarkable work the hybridizers have done over the last fifty years (oh!, can I really speak in terms of decades!), but it could also be that when I was little, my taste buds were in no way discerning. What ever the reason, they have become one of my Summer favorites.
This year in southern California we have been especially fortunate. The season’s white peaches are delectable. Bart bought another flat yesterday. I was amazed when he walked through the door with them. I do not know if I will cook with them or not; my sling gets very much in the way of blogging! But even eaten out of hand, we will enjoy the white peaches.
As always, thanks for stopping by, and I hope you are able to remain comfortable in the brutal heat of Caligola.
Saturday, August 18th 2012 at 6:40 am |
Hi Adri, In spite of our recent heat wave, I made this crostata and have to say it is heavenly. Joe and I both ate more than our share. So, I have to make a second one to share with guests today. Great recipe! Thanks.
Saturday, August 18th 2012 at 10:40 am |
Ciao Sorella!!!
I LOVE IT!!! How excellent that your did a practice run. And isn’t that dough the easiest ever? Julia Child once said one ought never make a recipe for the first time for guests, and I think that is some sage advice.
Bart brought another flat home from Costco the day before yesterday, and they are beauties, every last one. Big, too. Not like the small ones of our youth. The hybridizers have been busy.
I know your guests will enjoy it, and I hope you will send me a shot of your finished crostata. Thanks for the kitchen update!