"Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful worlds in the English language."
Henry James
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 Tbsp. raw sugar, plus more for sprinkling
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 sticks cold unsalted butter, diced
- 1/4 cup ice water
For the filling:
- 1 pound (about 3 medium) firm ripe peaches, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-wide slices
- 1/3 cup raw sugar
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp grated lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 Tbsp. of water for egg wash
- mint (optional)
Directions:
To make the pastry: Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle on the ice water and pulse until the dough just barely comes together. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board, roll it into a ball, and form into a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. (The pastry disk can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Meanwhile make the filling. In a bowl combine sugar with cornstarch, cardamom and lemon zest. Add the peaches and toss well. Let stand about 15 minutes, until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
Roll the pastry into an 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to the baking sheet.
Place the mixed fruit on the dough circle, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the edge of the dough up and over the peaches. Brush the border with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake the peach crostata for 30-35 minutes, until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender. Let the crostata cool for 10-15 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve with mint leaves.
