There’s something about a peach pie in summer that warms your heart and makes you smile, especially with a scoop of homemade ice cream on top. We’ve done our best to pay homage to the “classic” peach pie here, while riffing it with interesting, fresh flavors. The great thing about a crostata is that its beauty comes from its rustic appearance, so you don’t have to be a professional pie-maker to make it beautiful. Pro tip: Spin your ice cream the day before so it has time to set up in the freezer. Also, making your crust before your filling gives it the perfect amount of time to chill in the fridge before you roll it out.
Crust
2 ½ c all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
3 tb sugar
2 sticks butter, cold and cubed
¼ c ice water
Method
Combine flour, salt, and sugar then add to your food processor. Next, place the butter into the food processor and pulse with the flour until the mixture is crumbly like very coarse cornmeal. Then, while the food processor is running, slowly stream in the ice water until the dough comes together. Remove from the food processor and wrap in plastic wrap. Flatten the wrapped dough into a disk shape, this will make it easier to roll out later.
Peach Filling
(This pie filling can be made with fruits other than peaches, so go explore your local farmers markets for some seasonal inspiration!)
2 lbs peaches
1 tb fresh basil, chopped
1 tb fresh grated ginger
1 tsp fresh grated cinnamon
1 c sugar
Pinch of salt
Zest of one lime
Method
Slice peaches and add to a mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients, stir to combine.
Crostata Assembly:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out pie crust on a floured surface to ¼ inch thick, as round as possible, and place crust onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spoon filling into the center, and fold crust up onto the filling and continue to fold around the entire edge of the crust. Be careful not to let your folds lay too low on the crostata, you don’t want your filling to bake out of the crust. Brush the crust with egg wash, and for a fun, textural touch-sprinkle egg-washed crust with turbinado sugar.
Vanilla Custard
1 ¾ c heavy cream
1 ¼ c whole milk
½ c plus 2 tb sugar, divided
1/3 c light corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
6 large egg yolks
Method
Combine cream, milk, half of sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla in a saucepan and place on stove over medium-high heat. While the cream mixture heats, whisk together egg yolks, salt, and remaining half of sugar until the mixture is a pale yellow and the sugar has dissolved. Once the cream mixture starts to steadily steam, remove one cup of the mixture and gradually add it to the yolks while whisking. This will temper the egg yolks and keep them from scrambling in your ice cream, so this is a crucial step. Once the yolk mixture is tempered, add it to the saucepan on the stove. Stir the ice cream from time to time, until it reaches 180 degrees. Remove from heat and allow to cool until room temperature, then place in the fridge to cool. Once fully cooled
Happy Cooking!
C.B.
For more tips and how to prepare this recipe follow the link below