Plum and Nectarine Five Spice Pan Dowdy

Plum and Nectarine Five Spice Pan Dowdy

I'll bet you're like me; sometimes when you see gorgeous summer fruits begin to hit the market you just can't resist buying almost everything you see. We can't be blamed for that but inevitably sometimes you are going to buy more than the family can consume. Regular readers will also know that I'm not throwing anything out, so you know I had to find some way to use up the half a small basket each of ripe plums and nectarines that were hanging out in the fridge. Solution? A single pastry crust, easy to prepare pan dowdy; all the goodness of great pie with none of the fuss and no worrying about a soggy bottom crust. Whoever thought of that idea all those years ago was a genius.

In so many pie and pastry recipes here on Rock Recipes, you will find the phrase, "makes enough for two pastry rounds so wrap one in plastic and save it for later." Later was here.

I let the pastry thaw on the counter top for a half hour before rolling it out and blanketing it over the simply prepared fruit mixture and popping it into the oven...a quick, simple, seasonal, versatile and delicious dessert was on its way. It doesn't mater what fruit you have on hand, lots of combinations and spices will work. I've used Chinese five spice powder with plums before so I knew this combination would work but cinnamon will go with many other fruits and fruit combinations. Be experimental with nutmeg, cardamom, cloves and allspice too. Fortune favors the bold, so don't be afraid to use what you have on hand to create your unique and changeable version of pan dowdy. You might want to stock up on ice cream for the rest of the summer too.

Plum and Nectarine Five Spice Pan Dowdy

 Fruit Filling

• 1 1/2 pounds nectarines
• 1 1/2 pounds plums

Wash and pit the fruit and cut into thick slices. Mix together:

• 1 cup sugar
• pinch salt
• 3 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice powder (or one tsp ground cinnamon)

Toss the sugar and fruit mixtures and place them in the bottom of a 10 inch deep dish pie pan or similar sized pan, a 9x13 inch pan should work too.

• 2 tbsp butter

Dot the butter in small pieces all over the surface of the prepared fruit.

Butter Pastry

Sufficient for two 10 inch pie shells.

• 1 cup very cold butter cut into small cubes
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup ice water (Only enough to make a dough form.) mixed with 
• 1 tsp white vinegar

Using a food processor or a pastry blender cut cold butter into flour and salt until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Small pea sized pieces of butter should still be visible. Pour cold water over the mixture and work in by tossing with a fork until dough begins to form. Use your hands as little as possible and work the dough as little as possible. Divide dough into 2 balls, flatten into 2 rounds, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rest for a minimum of 20 minutes. You can freeze the second round for another time.

You can make your dough the previous day but make sure you take it out of the fridge for 10 minutes to warm slightly before rolling out. 

Roll out the pastry roughly to the size of your baking pan and place carefully over the prepared fruit mixture. Cut several slits in the pastry with a sharp knife and bake at 375 degrees F for approximately 40-45 minutes or until the top is evenly golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Allow to cool for 15 minutes or so before serving.

Plum and Nectarine Five Spice Pan Dowdy

I'll bet you're like me; sometimes when you see gorgeous summer fruits begin to hit the market you just can't resist buying almost everything you see. We can't be blamed for that but inevitably sometimes you are going to buy more than the family can consume. Regular readers will also know that I'm not throwing anything out, so you know I had to find some way to use up the half a small basket each of ripe plums and nectarines that were hanging out in the fridge. Solution? A single pastry crust, easy to prepare pan dowdy; all the goodness of great pie with none of the fuss and no worrying about a soggy bottom crust. Whoever thought of that idea all those years ago was a genius.

In so many pie and pastry recipes here on Rock Recipes, you will find the phrase, "makes enough for two pastry rounds so wrap one in plastic and save it for later." Later was here.

I let the pastry thaw on the counter top for a half hour before rolling it out and blanketing it over the simply prepared fruit mixture and popping it into the oven...a quick, simple, seasonal, versatile and delicious dessert was on its way. It doesn't mater what fruit you have on hand, lots of combinations and spices will work. I've used Chinese five spice powder with plums before so I knew this combination would work but cinnamon will go with many other fruits and fruit combinations. Be experimental with nutmeg, cardamom, cloves and allspice too. Fortune favors the bold, so don't be afraid to use what you have on hand to create your unique and changeable version of pan dowdy. You might want to stock up on ice cream for the rest of the summer too.

Plum and Nectarine Five Spice Pan Dowdy

 Fruit Filling

• 1 1/2 pounds nectarines
• 1 1/2 pounds plums

Wash and pit the fruit and cut into thick slices. Mix together:

• 1 cup sugar
• pinch salt
• 3 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice powder (or one tsp ground cinnamon)

Toss the sugar and fruit mixtures and place them in the bottom of a 10 inch deep dish pie pan or similar sized pan, a 9x13 inch pan should work too.

• 2 tbsp butter

Dot the butter in small pieces all over the surface of the prepared fruit.

Butter Pastry

Sufficient for two 10 inch pie shells.

• 1 cup very cold butter cut into small cubes
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup ice water (Only enough to make a dough form.) mixed with 
• 1 tsp white vinegar

Using a food processor or a pastry blender cut cold butter into flour and salt until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Small pea sized pieces of butter should still be visible. Pour cold water over the mixture and work in by tossing with a fork until dough begins to form. Use your hands as little as possible and work the dough as little as possible. Divide dough into 2 balls, flatten into 2 rounds, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rest for a minimum of 20 minutes. You can freeze the second round for another time.

You can make your dough the previous day but make sure you take it out of the fridge for 10 minutes to warm slightly before rolling out. 

Roll out the pastry roughly to the size of your baking pan and place carefully over the prepared fruit mixture. Cut several slits in the pastry with a sharp knife and bake at 375 degrees F for approximately 40-45 minutes or until the top is evenly golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Allow to cool for 15 minutes or so before serving.

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Summer Fruit Creme Brulee Tart

Summer Fruit Creme Brulee Tart

I was going to title this recipe as Nectarine Creme Brulee Tart but the truth is that this elegant tart could be made with any number of fresh seasonal fruits like peaches, plums, apricots or cherries. I've even made it with fresh strawberries in one of my personal favorite versions. Baked in a creamy vanilla custard, surrounded by a sweet butter pastry and finished with a thin, crispy, caramelized sugar layer, this is one very delicious way to enjoy the season's best fruit.


Sweet Butter Pastry

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• pinch salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut in small cubes
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2  tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ounce ice water

Mix together the  flour, salt and sugar. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles a coarse meal and pea sized pieces of butter still remain in the mixture. You can also use a food processor to pulse the butter into the flour mixture if you prefer.

Whisk together the water, vanilla and egg yolk. Pour over the dry ingredients and toss together gently with a wooden spoon only until a soft dough forms. Form the dough into a round, wrap in plastic wrap and let the dough rest in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before rolling it out to about a 10 inch round and place in a 9 inch ungreased tart pan. You will need to blind bake the pastry before adding the filling. Blind baking is essential so that the bottom of the pastry will not get soggy.

Strawberry Summer Fruit Creme Brulee Tart

To blind bake a crust simply place a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil over the dough and fill the pan with baking weights. (Marbles, dry beans, peas, rice or barley work just as well as anything else.) Bake at 375 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes. Remove baking weights and parchment and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F.

• approximately 3 nectarines , pitted and thickly sliced (or an equivalent amount of other summer fruit like strawberries)

Arrange the slices in the pastry crust, ensuring that they do not touch and that there is room to pour in the custard.

Custard

• 3 large egg yolks
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup whipping cream

In a small saucepan, whip together the egg yolks, vanilla and sugar until light in color and slightly foamy. Scald the cream  to almost boiling and slowly whisk into the egg yolk mixture. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens enough to coat the wooden spoon and you can draw a line through the custard with your finger on the back of the spoon. Slowly pour the custard into the tart pan between the fruit and bake for approximately 35- 40 minutes. Cool completely to room temperature before refrigerating to completely chill the tart. You can serve the tart at this point or you can add a caramelized sugar crust on top.

Lightly sprinkle about

• 2 tbsp sugar

over the top of the tart. Using a butane kitchen torch, wave the flame constantly and lightly over the surface of the dessert until it begins to brown. A light touch is important. Alternatively, you can try to caramelize the sugar under the broiler. You will need to watch it very closely and spin the pan frequently to evenly distribute the heat over the surface of the tart. Chill before serving.

Summer Fruit Creme Brulee Tart

Summer Fruit Creme Brulee Tart

I was going to title this recipe as Nectarine Creme Brulee Tart but the truth is that this elegant tart could be made with any number of fresh seasonal fruits like peaches, plums, apricots or cherries. I've even made it with fresh strawberries in one of my personal favorite versions. Baked in a creamy vanilla custard, surrounded by a sweet butter pastry and finished with a thin, crispy, caramelized sugar layer, this is one very delicious way to enjoy the season's best fruit.


Sweet Butter Pastry

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• pinch salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut in small cubes
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2  tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ounce ice water

Mix together the  flour, salt and sugar. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles a coarse meal and pea sized pieces of butter still remain in the mixture. You can also use a food processor to pulse the butter into the flour mixture if you prefer.

Whisk together the water, vanilla and egg yolk. Pour over the dry ingredients and toss together gently with a wooden spoon only until a soft dough forms. Form the dough into a round, wrap in plastic wrap and let the dough rest in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before rolling it out to about a 10 inch round and place in a 9 inch ungreased tart pan. You will need to blind bake the pastry before adding the filling. Blind baking is essential so that the bottom of the pastry will not get soggy.

Strawberry Summer Fruit Creme Brulee Tart

To blind bake a crust simply place a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil over the dough and fill the pan with baking weights. (Marbles, dry beans, peas, rice or barley work just as well as anything else.) Bake at 375 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes. Remove baking weights and parchment and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F.

• approximately 3 nectarines , pitted and thickly sliced (or an equivalent amount of other summer fruit like strawberries)

Arrange the slices in the pastry crust, ensuring that they do not touch and that there is room to pour in the custard.

Custard

• 3 large egg yolks
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup whipping cream

In a small saucepan, whip together the egg yolks, vanilla and sugar until light in color and slightly foamy. Scald the cream  to almost boiling and slowly whisk into the egg yolk mixture. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens enough to coat the wooden spoon and you can draw a line through the custard with your finger on the back of the spoon. Slowly pour the custard into the tart pan between the fruit and bake for approximately 35- 40 minutes. Cool completely to room temperature before refrigerating to completely chill the tart. You can serve the tart at this point or you can add a caramelized sugar crust on top.

Lightly sprinkle about

• 2 tbsp sugar

over the top of the tart. Using a butane kitchen torch, wave the flame constantly and lightly over the surface of the dessert until it begins to brown. A light touch is important. Alternatively, you can try to caramelize the sugar under the broiler. You will need to watch it very closely and spin the pan frequently to evenly distribute the heat over the surface of the tart. Chill before serving.

Summer Fruit Creme Brulee Tart

reade more... Résuméabuiyad