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I love peaches and nectarines, and they are in season right now!
One of my favourite ways to use these juicy fruits is to make a breakfast parfait, alternating layers of plain yogurt, cut fruit and granola.
Besides eating them fresh, I like to bake with peaches and nectarines. I use them interchangeably in recipes. To peel them, dip in boiling water for about 30 seconds, chill in ice cold water, and slip the skins off.
I use tapioca instead of flour in the pie recipe, because it makes for a less cloudy filling.
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MARGARET PROUSE: Waffles popular in North American homes and restaurants
MARGARET PROUSE: Enjoy flavours of the summer
Helen Nugent shared a tip for creating a lattice top in Pie Style (Page Street Publishing Co., Salem MA, 2020). It works better for me than weaving the lattice on top of the pie filling. Here it is.
Do this first step before placing the bottom crust in the pie plate. Lay out a piece of parchment paper, and invert your pie plate on it. Trace around the edge of the pie plate. Set aside the parchment paper.
Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to create a 30 cm (12 inch) circle. Cut 12, 2 cm (¾ inch) strips of dough. Turn the parchment over, making sure you can see the markings through the paper. Now create a lattice by weaving the pastry strips on the parchment, and trim, using the circle as guide. Gently slide the parchment paper with the pastry lattice onto a baking sheet, and place it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. After the lattice is thoroughly chilled, slide it onto the pie. Allow it to warm at room temperature for 5 minutes, and finish the edges.
Adapted from Wattie, Helen and Elinor Donaldson: Nellie Lyle Pattinson’s Canadian Cook Book. Ryerson Press, Toronto, 1965.
Fit pastry into a 23 cm (9 inch) pie plate. Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F).
Combine sugar and tapioca. Sprinkle over prepared peaches, and toss to coat. Stir in lemon juice and almond extract.
Spoon fruit mixture into pie shell. Dot with butter. Fit on a top crust or lattice crust, and brush with egg yolk thinned with a little water or milk.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until filling is bubbly and bottom crust is baked. (It took longer in my oven.)
Allow pie to cool, and serve plain or with a scoop of ice cream or a swirl of whipped cream.
Blueberries are also in season, so this cobbler is a perfect seasonal dessert. Use wild or highbush blueberries.
Adapted from Sanders, Moira and Lori Elstone: The Harrow Fair Cookbook. Whitecap, Vancouver, 2010.
Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Butter a 20 cm (8 inch) square baking dish.
Mix together the nectarines, blueberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon zest. Pour the fruit mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Whisk together the flour, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl. Working quickly and with a light touch, incorporate the butter with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the largest pieces are the size of peas.
Pour cream over dry ingredients and mix with a fork until the dough comes together. Do not overwork the dough. The dough should be soft and sticky.
Spread the dough evenly across the fruit layer. A cobbler is meant to be rustic, so the topping shouldn’t be smooth and perfect-looking. Poke several holes in the dough to allow the steam to escape while the cobbler bakes.
Bake for 1 hour or until the top is puffed and golden brown.
Margaret Prouse, a home economist, writes this column for The Guardian every Friday. She can be reached by email at [email protected] .
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