Stone Fruit Crostatas with Pecan-Crisp Topping

Rustic, free-form tarts are my favorite summer dessert for entertaining.

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Rustic, free-form tarts are my favorite summer dessert for entertaining. I make the dough for the buttery crust in the food processor a day or two ahead and refrigerate it. Or I freeze it for up to a month. Then, I use whatever combination of ripe stone fruit (peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, pluots) I can find for the filling.

Servings
6

Ingredients

Dough

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbs. granulated suga
  • 1⁄2 tsp. salt
  • 8 oz. (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Topping

  • 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1⁄4 cup chopped, toasted pecans
  • 3 Tbs. dark brown sugar
  • 1⁄8 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 2 Tbs. cold, unsalted butter, diced

Crostatas

  • 1 1⁄2 lbs. nectarines, plums, pluots, and/or peeled peaches, cored and thinly sliced (4–4 1⁄2 cups)
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • 2–3 Tbs. granulated sugar
  • 3–4 Tbs. all-purpose flour
  • 1⁄4 tsp. any combination ground cinnamon and ground ginger, plus big pinch of cloves or cardamom
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 Tbs. heavy cream
  • 2 Tbs. chopped, toasted pecans

Preparation

To make Dough: Briefly pulse flour, sugar, and salt in food processor to combine. Add butter cubes, and pulse 18 to 20 times, or until butter pieces are size of small pebbles. With motor running, add 4 1⁄2 Tbs. ice water, and process until dough just starts to come away from sides. Transfer dough to large bowl, and knead briefly with your palm to finish bringing together. Shape Dough into two 6-inch disks. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes, overnight, or up to 3 days.

Meanwhile, to make Topping: Combine flour, pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pinch of salt in small bowl. Rub butter into flour mixture with fingers until fine, crumbly topping forms. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange one oven rack in top third of oven, other rack in bottom third. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 4 To make Crostatas: Toss together fruit, lemon juice, and sugar in bowl. Add flour, spices, and big pinch of salt, if desired, and toss to combine. 5 Whisk together egg yolk and heavy cream in small bowl; set aside.

6 Roll out Dough disks to 12-inch circles on lightly floured work surface. Transfer disks to prepared baking sheets.

Sprinkle 1 Tbs. chopped pecans over middle of each dough circle, leaving a 2-inch border. Divide fruit mixture between two Crostatas, arranging in center of dough over pecans and leaving 2-inch border. Pleat and fold edge of dough up and over outer edge of fruit filling. Brush top of dough (and under folds) with egg mixture. Arrange half of crisp topping over fruit (and spilling over onto dough) in center of each tart.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until browned on top and crisp and brown on bottom, rotating sheetpans halfway through. Cool on baking sheets until easy to handle. Slice, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition Information

  • Serving Size makes 2 crostatas
  • Calories 340
  • Carbohydrate Content 34 g
  • Cholesterol Content 65 mg
  • Fat Content 21 g
  • Fiber Content 2 g
  • Protein Content 4 g
  • Saturated Fat Content 12 g
  • Sodium Content 97 mg
  • Sugar Content 13 g