Summer season in many places is the season of fresh sweet berries and fuzzy peaches and nectarines. I am no expert in making fine desserts nor do I like them very much. I prefer rustic handmade desserts which feel more wholesome and homely. Italian cuisine definitely is all for such dishes. So this peach and blackberry crostata is the answer to represent those dishes.
Peach and blackberry crostata is basically a simple and rustic pie filled with the most fun filling. The best part is making the crust and the crumble topping. It’s a very nice process and tastes oh so delicious because of the butter 🙂 The important part to remember is to use cold butter and cold water to get a flaky crust.
Now to talk about the filling, here I have used peach and blackberries obviously, hence the name, peach and blackberry crostata. The bright contrasting colours make the crostata a beautiful sight. Hey that rhymed (okay sort of!). The blackberries ooze out a thick deep purple colour and the peaches turn golden and sweet.
You may try this with organic canned fruits if you really want to but I would suggest using fresh ones like blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, plums, nectarines and peaches. I managed to get a very nice quenelle of vanilla ice cream when serving and I was quite proud of it. This recipe is adapted and inspired by Ina Garten’s summer fruit crostata. Try more such dessert recipes:
Peach and Blueberry Crumble
Banana Split
Eggless whole wheat waffles with berries
Eggless Strawberries Banana Crepes
- 1 Cup all purpose flour/atta
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 100 Gm unsalted butter
- ¼ Cup~ ice cold water
- 2-3 ripe peaches
- 10-12 fresh blackberries or plums or 1 Cup fresh blueberries
- ¼ Cup all purpose flour
- ¼ Cup~ brown sugar
- 1 Tsp grated fresh orange zest
- 2 Tbsp fresh unsweetened orange juice
- A pinch of salt
- ¼ Cup diced cold butter
- In a bowl, take the flour
- Add a pinch of salt
- Also add the sugar
- Next add butter and start cutting it into the flour
- Using a pastry cutter or fork ensure butter is mixed into the flour without melting the butter
- Next slowly add ice cold water
- Bring the dough together but do not knead
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes
- Meanwhile in another bowl, add flour and butter
- Also add brown sugar
- Crumble everything together, this is the crumble topping
- Next let's make the crostata filling, wash the peaches and berries lightly
- Halve the peaches, deseed them, and dice them roughly
- Also halve the blackberries
- Add these fruits into a bowl
- Throw in some orange zest and add sugar
- Add a pinch of salt
- Pour little orange juice
- Mix everything carefully and keep aside
- Line a pan with a round parchment paper and grease with butter or baking spray
- Now roll out the crust dough slowly, dust with flour a little
- Roll roughly into a rustic round as shown, not too thick or thin
- Keep the rolling pin at the centre of the rolled out dough, carefully fold, and put in the pan
- Place the fruit mixture in the centre as shown, leaving out the edges
- Carefully lift the edges and fold onto itself to make rustic pie or crostata
- Brush with milk or butter all over
- Spread the crumble topping on top of the expose fruit
- Drizzle a little orange juice over the crumble to keep it moist
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200 Deg C for 25-30 minutes or till lightly golden
- Serve with fresh fruits and a scoop of vanilla ice cream
Use any available fresh berries suitable for the filling, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries
Ensure the orange juice is fresh and canned
And finally, adjust sweetness for the filling as per your taste
Peach And Blackberry Crostata Stepwise:
In a bowl, take the flour
Add a pinch of salt
Also add the sugar
Next add butter and start cutting it into the flour
Using a pastry cutter or fork ensure butter is mixed into the flour without melting the butter
Next slowly add ice cold water
Bring the dough together but do not knead
Refrigerate for 30 minutes
Meanwhile in another bowl, add flour and butter
Also add brown sugar
Crumble everything together, this is the crumble topping
Next let's make the crostata filling, wash the peaches and berries lightly
Halve the peaches, deseed them, and dice them roughly
Also halve the blackberries
Add these fruits into a bowl
Throw in some orange zest and add sugar
Add a pinch of salt
Pour little orange juice
Mix everything carefully and keep aside
Line a pan with a round parchment paper and grease with butter or baking spray
Now roll out the crust dough slowly, dust with flour a little
Roll roughly into a rustic round as shown, not too thick or thin
Keep the rolling pin at the centre of the rolled out dough, carefully fold, and put in the pan
Place the fruit mixture in the centre as shown, leaving out the edges
Carefully lift the edges and fold onto itself to make rustic pie or crostata
Brush with milk or butter all over
Spread the crumble topping on top of the expose fruit
Drizzle a little orange juice over the crumble to keep it moist
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200 Deg C for 25-30 minutes or till lightly golden
Serve with fresh fruits and a scoop of vanilla ice cream
