Peach Blueberry Almond Crostata

A combination between tart and pie; this peach blueberry almond crostata provides a homey, rustic feel using summer’s best fruit.

Have you ever made a tart like this?

This rustic crostata is a cross between a pie and a tart.  It’s super easy, tastes like a pie, and looks like a tart.  This recipe, in particular, uses an incredible baked filling and then finishes with a fresh fruit topping that has been tossed in sugar and lemon juice.  It doesn’t get much better than this!

A crostata is basically a free form pie with a thin, buttery, and flaky crust.

You can find the ripest, juiciest peaches in mid-summer.  I can’t resist stopping by those roadside fruit stands while traveling through South Carolina.  They always have the plumpest and delicious peaches.  Blueberries are in peak season as well.  Another weakness of mine is sweet blueberries.  I love them!  And look how they add a pop of color to the crostata.  She’s a beauty.

For this recipe, you will need about 8 large peaches.  Peel and slice only 6 of the peaches, mix them up with some blueberries, add some sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon.  Let the fruit sit while you prepare the crust.

The crust is an almond pastry made with flour, ground almonds that have been toasted, sugar, salt, cold butter, and cold water mixed with egg yolk.  If you forget to use cold ingredients, don’t fret.  We are going to pop our pastry dough into the freezer for a few minutes before we roll it out. This will ensure that you get a flaky crust.

With a pastry blender, mix the butter in with the flour, sugar, ground almonds, and salt until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs.

Measure out 1/3 of a cup of water and whisk one egg yolk into the water.  Add one tablespoon of the egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix gently with your fingertips.  Repeat until the flour mixture is moistened.  It took me 4 tablespoons to get my flour moist.

Knead the moist dough gently until it comes together into a ball.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and put in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.  This will get that butter nice and cold so you get the perfect textured crust.

While your dough is chilling, prep the topping.  Take the remaining 2 peaches, leaving the skin intact, cut them into slices.  Toss the peaches with some blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice.  Set this mixture aside until the crostata is finished baking.

On a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle.  Don’t worry about trimming the dough, unevenness adds to the rustic quality of the crostata.  Transfer the rolled dough and parchment paper to a baking sheet.  Or you can use a cast iron skillet like I did.  Lightly dust the skillet with flour and flip the dough over into the skillet.  Gently peel the parchment paper off and adjust the pastry crust so it is centered in the skillet.

Add the peeled peach and blueberry filling by using a slotted spoon.  Spoon the filling on the center of the dough; leave 2 to 3 inches of uncovered area around the edges.  Gently fold the edges up over the filling, overlapping them in soft folds.  Be gentle so you don’t tear the pastry.

Brush the edges with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.  Some of the filling juice may leak out during baking, but the crust will absorb most of it without getting soggy.

The crostata will take about 30 to 35 minutes to bake.  You want to leave it in the oven until the crust is golden brown so start watching it at about 25 minutes.  The browner the crust, the crispier it will be.  It’s all about preference.  Just don’t burn it!

After the crostata has baked and cooled, spoon the topping right over the filling in the middle.  This will give it that fresh fruit tart appeal.  This peach blueberry almond crostata is a fruit filled pie in the middle and a fresh fruit tart on the top.  It is so freaking good!  It’s even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I’m not sharing, you can forget it.  It looks like you have to make your own 😉

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Peach-Blueberry Almond Crostata

A combination between tart and pie; this peach blueberry almond crostata provides a homey, rustic feel using summer’s best fruit.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Yields 8

Author Jen Sobjack

Ingredients

For the crust

• 1/3 cup sliced almonds
• 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter cut into pieces
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 1 egg yolk

For the filling

• 1 large peaches peeled, pitted, and sliced thin
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoon coarse sugar

For the topping

• 2 large peaches pitted and sliced thin (leave skin intact)
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300ºF. Toast almond by scattering them on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Stir occasionally. Set aside to cool completely.

Make the filling

1. In a medium bowl, stir together 1/3 cup sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch. Add the peaches and blueberries, toss to coat. Set aside.

Make the crust

1. Process the almonds in a food processor until finely chopped. In a medium bowl, combine almond, flour, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture until pea-sized crumbs form. Whisk together water and egg yolk. Sprinkle 1 Tbs of the egg mixture over the flour mixture and mix with fingertips. Repeat until all of the flour mixture is moistened. Gently knead the mixture until the dough comes together in a ball. Wrap dough ball in plastic wrap and freeze for 15 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the dough from freezer. Roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper. Do not trim the edges. Transfer the pastry and parchment paper to a baking sheet or invert the pastry into a 10 inch cast iron skillet that has been lightly floured. Use a slotted spoon to add the filling to the center of the pastry, leaving at least 2 to 3 inches of uncovered area around the edges. Fold the edges up over the filling, overlapping them in soft folds. (leave the center of the fruit filling uncovered)

3. Mix the egg and water in a small bowl and brush the mixture over the edges of the pastry. Sprinkle the edges with coarse sugar. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.

For the topping

1. Toss peaches, blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice together. Set aside until crostata has baked and cooled. Spoon topping over the center of the crostata, covering the filling. Slice and serve.

Recipe Notes

This recipe yields 1 (10 inch) crostata.