Mary Berry's Christmas Cranachan Pavlova Wreath

Are you still undecided on a Christmas dessert? Well look no further than this showstopper of a pavlova that features an added twist -- cranachan. Never heard of cranachan? Neither had I until I saw a TV show last year featuring England's premier food writer, chef and broadcaster, Mary Berry. It was filmed in Scotland, where her mother was from, and where she spent many Christmases. Among the delectable dishes she made was this pavlova, sprinkled with toasted oatmeal, part of a popular Scottish dessert called cranachan, also made with whipped cream and raspberries. The oatmeal is tossed with butter and sugar before toasting, and adds a buttery crunch to the finished dessert.

I added lots of different berries on top of the whipped cream -- raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and sugared cranberries, in addition to pomegranate seeds and the cranachan, of course.

Mint leaves and little sprigs of sugared rosemary, resembling tiny evergreen trees, also made it look even more festive.

It was fun to make, and really will make you feel like a star baker. 

Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates. And may the new year bring good health, tons of happiness and plenty of adventure to your life.

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 Mary Berry's Pavlova with cranachan

https://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/christmas-cranachan-pavlova-wreath/

Ingredients

• For the pavlova
• 6 large egg whites
• 1 ¾ cups white sugar
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 
  
• 2 tbsp butter
• 7/8 cup of porridge or old-fashioned oats
• 2 tbsp muscovado (or brown) sugar
• 
  
• 2 ½ cups of heavy cream
• 2 tbsp Scotch whisky
• 
  
• 2 cups blueberries
• 4 cups raspberries
• ½ cup pomegranate seeds
• Sprigs of rosemary, to decorate
• Powdered sugar, to serve

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325F/160C/140C Fan/Gas 3. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment and draw a 12in/30cm circle in the middle of the paper. Draw a 6in/15cm circle in the centre of the larger circle to make a ring.
2. Put the egg whites in a clean mixing bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until light. Gradually add the sugar a little at a time, whisking on maximum speed until they are stiff and glossy. Mix the vinegar and cornflour in a cup until smooth, then stir into the egg whites.
3. Spoon the meringue onto the ring drawn on the baking parchment. Using a large spoon, make a shallow trench in the meringue for the cream and fruit to sit in.
4. Transfer to the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 275F/140C/120C Fan/Gas 1. Bake for 1 hour - 1 hour 15 minutes, until the outside is hard but still white. Turn the oven off and leave the pavlova inside for an hour or overnight to cool and dry.
5. Melt the butter in a small frying pan. Add the muscovado sugar and oats and fry over a medium heat until the oats are lightly golden brown and the sugar has melted and coated the oats. Leave to cool.
6. To assemble, whip the cream until soft peaks and stir in the whisky. Stir in 2/3 of the oats and half the raspberries. Spoon the cream into the trench in the meringue. Arrange the remaining raspberries, blueberries and pomegranate seeds on top and decorate with a few rosemary sprigs, to look like small Christmas trees. Sprinkle with the remaining oats. To serve, dust with powdered sugar and cut into wedges.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

I know many of you may be "pumpkined out" by this time in the fall, but if you've still got some pumpkin in your cupboard or refrigerator, this is a delicious recipe to tuck away in the freezer for a special holiday breakfast treat. I had a lot of pumpkin stored in the freezer from last fall, when I cooked down and froze some pureed pumpkin I made from the blue pumpkin in my front porch display. But you could certainly use canned pumpkin if you like.

The dough is easy to make. Roll out to about 12" x 9"

After smearing it with the butter/cinnamon/sugar mixture, roll it up tightly.

Pinch the edges and flip it over to have the smooth side on top.

Cut into twelve slices and trim off the ends. 

I  smooshed the end pieces together and baked it separately in a small oven proof container, as the cook's special treat - hey, I needed to do some quality control, right?

Place the 12 sliced rolls in a baking dish. You could also choose to make two round pans with six rolls in each pan.

Let them rise until nearly doubled in size.

Bake and let cool a little before slathering on the glaze. Or freeze unglazed as I did, reheat slightly in the oven and glaze when ready to serve. 

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Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

(recipe from thefarmersdaughter.com)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup water

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast 

1/4 cup white sugar (1 tablespoon for yeast mixture, 3 tablespoons in the rest of the dough)

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup butter

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (*important: don't add this all at once.  depending on your pumpkin puree thickness, and baking conditions, you may not need it all!)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

filling:

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, softened

Directions:

In a small bowl, add water, a tablespoon of white sugar, and yeast.  Stir together and set aside to rise.

In a small saucepan, stir together pumpkin puree and butter on a medium heat, stirring constantly.  Allow to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, add 2 1/4 cups of flour, remaining 3 tablespoons of white sugar, and salt.  Stir in yeast and egg, and mix well.  Add in pumpkin and butter mixture.  Add in remaining cup of flour, 1/2 cup at a time (*note: you may not need all of the flour depending on the consistency of your pumpkin puree - you want your dough to pull away from the bowl, but not to get too dry.  A little stickiness is good as long as you can still work with it!)  Stir well until dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for 5 minutes until smooth (again....it's better if you're dough's a little sticky here, rather than adding too much flour).

Cover with a clean, damp cloth, and let rest for 10 minutes.

Mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and soft butter.

Roll dough out into a 9x12 rectangle.

Spread butter-sugar mixture evenly across the dough.  Then, roll up the long side of the dough as tight as you can.  Pinch the seam where it ends, so that it doesn't come apart.  Use either a serrated knife to cut the roll into 12 even pieces, or you can use a piece of plain floss (slide it under the dough, bring it up, cross over each other, and cut).  

*Hint: I often trim the ends of the roll off and bake it in a mini pan to help the buns stay more even!

Arrange the twelve buns into a greased 9x13 pan.  Cover with a clean dish towel, and allow to rise for 30 minutes in a warm place.  (I let mine rise for nearly two hours.)  I placed any extra bits or warped rolls into a greased muffin tin.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 18-20 minutes.  

Allow to cool slightly before removing from pan/pie dish.  Best served warm with a glaze/icing.

Glaze/Icing

1 1/2 cup icing sugar

3 tablespoons butter (softened)

1/2 cup maple syrup

directions:

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together and adjust to taste/desired thickness.  Drizzle or spread over cinnamon rolls.  I like to soften my butter a lot, so it spreads on easy, and then will firm up.

Broiled Flounder with Romesco Sauce

We try to eat fish a couple of times a week, and flounder (or fluke here in New Jersey) is frequently in the rotation. Normally, I make it in a lemon/butter/caper sauce, but I wanted something different this time without fussing too much.

I love Romesco sauce, which is typically made with almonds, but if I have hazelnuts, I will substitute those instead. The sauce is delicious by itself with some crackers or pita bread, but I thought it would make a terrific base for a simple broiled fish. I was right. It was the perfect foil.

Make the Romesco just before you broil the fish since it only takes a few minutes for the fish to cook. While the Romesco sauce is fine eaten cold, it's more enjoyable (in my opinion) if you eat it either warm or at room temperature.

Prep the fish and have it read to pop in the broiler. Be careful to keep an eye on it. Mine was cooked in 5 minutes, but times vary, depending on thickness of the fish.

Swirl some of the Romesco sauce on the serving platter, place the fish on top, then sprinkle with some fresh herbs. Delicious enough for company, but easy enough for a mid-week family meal.

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Broiled Flounder with Romesco Sauce

Ingredients

For the broiled fish for two people:

3/4 to 1 pound of fresh flounder, fluke or sole

olive oil to smear on fish

salt, pepper

paprika

fresh thyme or parsley

For the Romesco sauce:

Adapted from Aliza Green’s Starting with Ingredients

(This will make enough for more than one meal for two people)

1 large roasted pepper (homemade or from a jar)

2 large cloves garlic

1/2 cup olive oil 
one half of a thick slice of Italian or French bread, crusts removed, and cut into cubes

1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and skins rubbed off (or use almonds if you prefer
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

a dash of cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar

salt to taste

Instructions:

For the fish:

Preheat broiler.

Place a sheet of parchment paper inside a pan. Be careful not to let any hang over the pan or it could burn and catch fire in the broiler.

Place the fish on the paper and smear with olive oil.

Sprinkle on the salt, pepper, and paprika.

Broil for a short time, depending on thickness of fish. Mine took only about 5 minutes.

For the Romesco sauce:

Puree the peppers and their juice in the bowl of a
food processor.  Without washing the bowl, transfer the paste to
a small pot and then cook slowly until it’s thick enough to hold its
shape, about 10 minutes.

Place the garlic and ½ cup of the olive oil
in a small pot and cook until the garlic is lightly browned, about 10
minutes. Add the cubed bread and cook 2 minutes longer or until lightly
browned.

Place the pepper paste, hazelnuts, and the garlic
and bread cubes and their cooking oil back into the food processor.
Process to a chunky paste, then add the Pimenton, sherry vinegar and
salt.

Process again, then drizzle the remaining olive oil
to make a thick sauce. Add a little water if it's too thick.

The second time I made it, I passed it through a sieve to make it even smoother, but that's not necessary if you want to make it easier on yourself.

Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Torta Caprese

Torta caprese is a classic flourless cake from the isle of Capri. Chocolate and almond flour are the main ingredients that combine to make this a divine dessert, moist and rich with flavor. It's a great cake for all, but especially for those looking to eliminate gluten from their diet. But don't skip the whipped cream -- unless you choose vanilla ice cream as a topper instead.

Check out Ciao Chow Linda on Instagram here to find out what’s cooking in my kitchen each day (and more).

Torta Caprese

(recipe from "Cooking with Manuela")

Ingredients

• 1 cup (175 gr ) dark chocolate (I used Hershey's Special Dark bars)
• 6 oz (170 gr) unsalted butter
• 1 cup (120 gr) powdered sugar
• 5 large eggs, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon rum (optional)
• 3 cups (300 gr) almond flour (I used 2 1/2 cups almond flour and 1/2 cup all purpose flour because I ran out of almond flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. Line or grease an 8 or 9-inch round springform pan. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
2. In a small bowl, add the butter, cut into pieces, and the chocolate. Melt in a double boiler or in the microwave for 45 seconds (80% power), adding 20 more seconds as needed. Whisk until smooth, and set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the powdered sugar until light and foamy. Save the egg whites in a separate large bowl for later. Add the vanilla paste (or extract) and the rum. Mix some more.
4. Add the melted butter/chocolate and beat some more. Add the almond flour and baking powder, and mix until combined.
5. Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until firm. Fold into the cake batter.
6. Pour into the prepared pan, level, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes golden and set. Test with a toothpick for readiness. Let cool, remove from the pan and serve with powdered sugar.

Fall Minestrone

When my husband says "This soup hits me at the cellular level," I know we've got a keeper of a recipe. And this one, from Ereka Vetrini, who is on Instagram as @erekav, is a real winner. It's colorful, flavorful, packed chock full with delicious, healthy vegetables and pasta too. What could be better? It warms you to the soul, and is the perfect transitional meal as summer's warmth morphs into autumn's chill. The only change I made to Ereka's recipe was to use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth, but you can do as you like. And because the pasta swelled so much after sitting for a few hours, I had to add more broth to thin out the soup a bit. I would suggest waiting to add the ditalini until shortly before you're ready to serve.

Check out Ciao Chow Linda on Instagram here to find out what’s cooking in my kitchen each day (and more).

 Fall Minestrone

Recipe from Ereka Vetrini @erekav on Instagram

Ingredients:
2 celery stalks finely minced
2 medium sized carrots finely minced
1 large sweet yellow onion finely minced
⅓ cup olive oil
2 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp dried rosemary
1 small butternut squash
1 large Yukon gold potato diced
6 cups low sodium vegetable broth (I used chicken broth)
3 cups water
10 thyme sprigs
Parmesan rind (optional)
1½ cups small ditalini pastina
1 large bundle of lacinato (dinosaur) kale or a 12 ounces bag of spinach (I used both only because I didn't read the recipe carefully enough, but adding both kale and spinach was delicious)
1 can cannellini beans drained
1 can cannellini beans blended
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Veggie Preparation:
-To quickly mince the celery, carrots and onion, add them to a food processor and pulse 20-25 times.
-Use a peeler to peel the skin off of your butternut squash. Slice the squash in half, deseed and dice into ½ inch pieces.
-Peel and dice the potato. Remove the ribs from the kale and chop the leaves into small pieces.
-Blend one can of cannellini until smooth. Do not drain the liquid before blending.

Minestrone Instructions:
-To a large pot, add the olive oil, the soffritto (minced celery, carrots and onions), 1salt, pepper and dried rosemary. Sautè over medium heat for 3 minutes then add the butternut squash, potatoes, vegetable broth, 3 cups water, thyme sprigs and parmesan rind. Bring to a boil and let boil for 6 minutes.

-Add the ditalini and cook for 8 minutes more stirring occasionally so the pasta doesn’t still to the bottom of the pot.

-Lower to a simmer then stir in the kale (or spinach), canned and puréed beans. Let simmer for 5 minutes more.
-Serve warm with grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Plum Tart

A couple of weeks ago we had a sublime meal at Canal House Station, a restaurant run by Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hershimer in Milford, N.J. Melissa was co-owner of Hamilton Grill Room in Lambertville, N.J., and was food stylist and recipe developer for many publications, including Cook's Illustrated, Martha Stewart Living and Saveur, where she became food editor. Christopher was food and design editor for Metropolitan Home and co-founder of Saveur, and is a photographer and writer who has written four cookbooks. That's Christopher on the left and Melissa on the right (with yours truly in the middle) in the photo below.

Together they opened their charming restaurant along the Delaware River in a former train station and have published a series of seasonal cookbooks featuring recipes they serve to the public. Each course of our meal was so fresh and flavorful we were nearly licking the plates clean. Dessert was the beautiful and delicious plum tart in the photo above.

I knew immediately that I wanted to recreate it in my kitchen, especially since my Italian chit-chat group was meeting at my house in a few days. But I changed the topping somewhat to add sliced plums, rather than plum halves, and beneath the plums I dabbled a bit of almond paste - totally optionally, but wow, what a great taste combination. 

The time to make this is now, since Italian prune plums are in season for only a short while longer. Of course you can use the easier-to-find typical plums, but do search out the Italian prune variety while they're still available.

Purchased puff pastry makes this an easy dessert recipe. The photo below is of one sheet from a package of Pepperidge Farms' puff pastry, which contains two sheets. I used both sheets and pinched them together since I was having a crowd, but you can cut the recipe in half and use only one sheet. Roll each sheet out to about 10" x 10" and lift up the edges about 1/2 inch to create a border. Prick the pastry with a fork to keep the interior from puffing up too much.

If you want to add the almond paste (and why wouldn't you?), just break off some pieces, flatten them out and dabble them over the pastry. The almond paste also keeps the pastry from getting too soggy from the plum juices.

Slice the plums, (or keep them in halves if you prefer), place them over the almond paste, and add some dabs of butter. Sprinkle with a little sugar.

Bake for about 30 minutes until the pastry is golden and the plums have softened.  Serve with whipped cream.

Check out Ciao Chow Linda on Instagram here to find out what’s cooking in my kitchen each day (and more).

Plum Tart

Inspired by Melissa Hamilton's and Christopher Hershimer's recipe in Canal House Cooking

2 sheets puff pastry (I used one box of Pepperidge Farm pastry, which contains two sheets), defrosted

1/4 cup flour

6-8 tablespoons granulated sugar

10-14 Italian prune plums (depending on size you may need more or less)

1 tube of almond paste (optional)

2 tablespoons cold butter, broken into bits.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out the pastry until each of them is about 10" x 10".

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and place each piece of pastry on the parchment paper next to each other. Squeeze the edges of the pieces together in the middle. Lift the edges all around to form a kind of "frame" to keep the juices from running over the sides. Prick the interior of the pastry all over with the tines of a fork.

Sprinkle half the sugar over the pastry. Place dabs of the almond paste all around, then slice the plums and arrange over the almond paste (or just cut them in half and place halves over the almond paste, in which case you may need more plums). Sprinkle with the remaining sugar.

Bake for about 30 minutes or a little longer until the edges of the pastry are browned.

Serve with whipped cream.

Romano Beans, Potatoes and Pancetta

 

If you've never tried Romano beans, you have been missing out on one of best vegetables ever. They're sometimes hard to find, and are available for only a short time in late summer/early fall, so if you see these in your local supermarkets or farmer's market, grab a bunch.

They're common in Italian households, but not so much in the U.S., unless you come from the South, as does my friend Emily, who said they are called pole beans there. Her husband Tom curates a beautiful garden in Hopewell, NJ, growing all kinds of fabulous produce, including agretti, practically unheard of here in the U.S. but another of my favorite seasonal vegetables in Italy. He even sells to a few high end restaurants, and I am occasionally the beneficiary of some of their goodness, including this latest batch of Romano beans.

These beans were simply prepared with small white potatoes, a little pancetta, some garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Be sure to use quality ingredients since when a recipe is so simple as this, each ingredient really needs to shine.

Start out by boiling the potatoes and about ten minutes before they're done, add the beans. Cook until the beans and potatoes are soft through and through. This is not the time for crunchy beans. They need to be soft enough to smush a bit with a potato masher. Then drain everything in a colander.

Meanwhile, saute some pancetta and shallots (Tom also gave me some Belgian shallots he grew) until the pancetta has rendered its fat and the shallots are wilted. Add the garlic and let it soften too.

Add the potatoes and beans, salt and pepper, and "smush" everything together with a potato masher or a sturdy fork. Add a little more olive oil if you like (and I like).

Serve with a nice glass of wine. This was dinner for me and my husband, and was very filling, but you might like to add a salad if it's not enough for you.

Romano Beans, Potatoes and Pancetta

(For two people)

Ingredients:

about 8-10 tiny white potatoes

about 1/3 pound Romano beans

1 thick slice of pancetta (about 1/2" slice)

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 shallot, finely diced

1 large or 2 small cloves of garlic, minced

salt, pepper

Instructions:

Boil the potatoes in water until almost cooked through. Add the beans to the water (after de-stringing them if they are stringy) and boil until they are cooked through - about 8-10 minutes. Drain everything.

Place the pancetta in a pan with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Cook until the fat starts to render, then add the shallot and cook until wilted. Add the garlic and cook until wilted, then put the potatoes and beans into the pan, season with salt and pepper. Smush the potatoes and beans somewhat using a potato masher or sturdy fork. Add more olive oil and mix everything well. 

Fluke (or Flounder) Oreganata

 

How about a quick and easy seafood dinner that tastes great too? I've got you covered, with this fluke oreganata. Fluke is a type of flounder, also called summer flounder and is light, flakey and delicious. This particular fluke came from New Jersey waters and two pieces weighing almost a pound were plenty for our dinner for two.

Start by seasoning the fish with salt and pepper. Place in an ovenproof dish that's been smeared with olive oil. 

Then mix together Panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, seasonings, and a little olive oil. Spread on top of the fish, sprinkle with a little paprika and surround the fish with a little dry white wine.

Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 10 minutes and dinner is ready.

Check out Ciao Chow Linda on Instagram here to find out what’s cooking in my kitchen each day (and more).

Fluke (or flounder) Oreganata

Ingredients

2 pieces of fluke or flounder (approximately 1 lb. total)

1/3 cup panko crumbs

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

a few sprigs fresh parsley

a few sprigs fresh oregano

1/4 cup olive oil

salt, pepper to taste

1/4 cup dry white wine

lemon slices

paprika to sprinkle on top

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Smear a couple of tablespoons of olive oil into an ovenproof casserole.

Lay the fish over the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Mix together the panko, parmesan cheese, oregano, and parsley. Add the olive oil and blend together with a fork.

Spread the panko mixture over the fish, then sprinkle lightly with paprika.

Pour the white wine around the fish.

Bake for 10 minutes. If your fish is thicker, it may need more time. Likewise, if it's thinner it may need less time.

Serve with lemon slices.

Torta Sbriciolata (Fig Crumble)

 

It's prime figgy season and I found this recipe just in time to take advantage of the bounty gifted to me by my friend Madeline, whose fig tree is as productive as Santa's elves at Christmas.

The recipe comes from a cook I used to watch on the Italian TV program,  "La Prova Del Cuoco," and whom I now follow on her Instagram page -- Natalia Cattelani. The recipe was written in metric measurements, but I've converted them so it will be easy for you to follow. Start by quartering the figs and cooking them with a small bit of sugar and lemon juice. Mix the crumble while the cooked figs are cooling. I used a 9" removable bottom tart pan, lined with parchment paper, then sprayed with a non-stick cooking spray. You may not need to take that extra step, but my tart pan is so old, it's starting to get rusty. I've bought a few newer ones that have a nonstick coating, but this one doesn't, so I took the precaution to avoid any sticking from fig juices that might drip out. Take half of the crumble mixture and pan it down to cover the bottom of the pan.

Then take the cooked figs and spread them over the crumble.

Spread the remaining crumbs over the top and sprinkle with sliced almonds.

After about 45 to 50 minutes, remove this beauty from the oven. Let it cool, then give it a good dusting with powdered sugar. If you have extra figs, decorate with a few.

If you haven't got any fresh figs, try using fig jam instead. And if figs aren't your thing, (WAIT, WHAT?) then use another jam that you love. 

It starts to lose some of it crunchiness a day or so after it's made due to the moisture in the fruit, but if you still have some left that long after making it, it's delicious nonetheless.

Torta Sbriciolata (Fig Crumble)

about 2 cups (500 grams) of fresh figs, cut into quarters

1 heaping tablespoon sugar (Un cucchiaio abbondante)

juice of half a lemon

1/2 cup (50 grams) almond flour

2 1/2 cups (300 grams) all-purpose flour

9 tablespoons butter (120 grams), cut into pieces

1/2 teaspoon baking powder (mezzo cucchiaino)

3/4 cup (130 grams) sugar

grated rind of one lemon

1 whole egg, plus another egg yolk

1/2 cup slivered almonds

powdered sugar and a few fresh figs for decoration

Preparation

Cook the figs with the lemon and sugar about five to ten minutes until softened.

Mix the crumble part by mixing the flours, sugar, baking powder, lemon rind together, then using your fingers blend in the butter until the butter gets somewhat incorporated. Add the whole egg and egg yolk and continue mixing with your fingers until you get large crumbles. Spread half into a prepared 9" tart pan, then layer the figs on top. Spread the other half of the crumble over the figs to cover, then sprinkle with the slivered almonds. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown.

Let it cool, then dust with powdered sugar and decorate with fresh figs.

Peach Frangipane Crostata

 

While summer peaches are still plentiful and full of flavor, put this crostata on your to-do list. This luscious dessert is from Domenica Marchetta's latest cookbook, "Everyday Italian," and was a big hit recently with my Italian chit-chat group. The pasta frolla crust is buttery and the perfect foil for the juicy peaches that get cooked to a jammy consistency. You start by simmering them for a bit with brown sugar, lemon juice and spices. Let them cool while making the rest of the crostata.

Make the frangipane (almond paste filling) and spread over the raw dough. I chilled the dough while making the filling.

Arrange the cooled peach preserves over the frangipane.

Then place strips of dough over the top. You don't have to weave the strips as I did, but I do think it looks prettier. The dough is very buttery though and may be a bit ornery to maneuver, so I find it easiest to cut the strips, then refrigerate them to stiffen a bit. It makes the weaving much easier. 

Bake as directed, then dust with some powdered sugar. You could serve with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream to ramp up the goodness. I wish I had taken a photo of a slice of the crostata, but it was gobbled up so quickly, I didn't have a chance.

Check out Ciao Chow Linda on Instagram here to find out what’s cooking in my kitchen each day (and more).

Peach Frangipane Crostata

recipe from Domenica Marchetta's "Everyday Italian"

Ingredients:

For the pasta frolla

2 cups (250 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the dough

2/3 cup (80 g) confectioners’ sugar

1/4 tsp fine salt

Grated zest of 1 lemon or 1 small orange—or a little of both (about 1 Tbsp)

1 stick plus 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (150 grams), cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

For the peach preserves

1 1/2 lb (680g) ripe peaches, pitted, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices (or 1 lb (500g) frozen sliced peaches)

1 cup (200g) light brown sugar

1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

For the frangipane

3/4 cup (100g) almond flour or almond meal

1/3 cup (66g) sugar

6 Tbsp (86g) unsalted butter at cool room temperature

1 egg

1/4 tsp pure almond extract

1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/8 tsp fine salt

Directions:

1. Make the pasta frolla: Put the flour, sugar, salt, and zest in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse briefly to combine. Distribute the butter around the bowl and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Add the egg and egg yolk and process until the dough begins to clump together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gather it together into a ball. Form the dough into two disks, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour, or until well chilled (overnight is fine). Remove the dough from the refrigerator 30 minutes before rolling it out.

2. Make the peach filling: Place the peaches, brown sugar, and lemon juice in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat to dissolve the sugar, about 5 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cook at a lively simmer, stirring often, until the peach slices are tender but still intact, and the mixture has thickened to a syrupy consistency, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg and simmer for 5 minutes more. You should be able to drag a path through the bottom of the saucepan with a silicon or wooden spoon. Scrape the peaches into a heat-proof bowl and let cool completely. (At this point the preserves can be refrigerated until ready to use.)

3. Make the frangipane: Measure the almond flour, sugar, butter, egg, almond and vanilla extracts and salt into the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Scrape into a bowl.

4. Position a rack in the middle of the oven, place a cookie sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 350° F. Remove the pasta frolla from the refrigerator. Have ready a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. 

Lightly dust a work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll the larger disk of pasta frolla into a 12-inch (30-cm) circle, lifting and turning the dough as you roll to prevent sticking and create an even round. Gently wrap the dough around the rolling pin and unroll it over the tart pan. Gently fit the dough into the pan without stretching it. Use the palm of your hand or the rolling pin to trim off the excess. Refrigerate while you roll out the second piece of dough.

Roll the smaller piece into a 10-inch (25-cm) circle and use a fluted pastry wheel to cut it into strips, as thin or thick as you like. Alternatively, for a more traditional look, divide the disk into 10 pieces and with your hands roll out each piece into a 10-inch (25-cm) rope.

Remove the crostata base from the refrigerator and spread the frangipane over the bottom in an even layer. Using a slotted spoon, spoon the cooled peaches over the frangipane in an even layer, letting the excess syrup drip back into the bowl. Position the strips of pastry on top of the peaches in a crisscross lattice pattern. You can weave the strips if you like, but the dough is fragile and tends to tear so it’s not necessary (nor is it traditional). Press the edges of the strips into the edge of the tart shell to secure and trim off the excess.

Set the crostata on the heated baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Transfer from the baking sheet to a rack to cool completely. Remove the ring and use a large, wide angled spatula to transfer the crostata from the metal tart base to a serving plate. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if you like and serve. For an extra-lavish touch, top each serving with a scoop of vanilla gelato and drizzle with some of the reserved caramelized peach syrup.

Makes one 9-inch (23-cm) crostata, to serve 8-10