Ultimate Cook Book_ 900 New Recipes, Thousands of Ideas - Bruce Weinstein [410]
Add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon with the blueberries.
Add ¼ cup chopped crystallized ginger to the pan with the raspberries.
Substitute oat bread or wheat bread for the country-style white. Oat bread will have a slightly more slippery texture; wheat bread, a slightly nuttier taste.
Stir ½ cup toasted sliced almonds into the berry mixture after it has simmered.
Stir ½ cup shredded sweetened coconut into the berry mixture after it has simmered.
Reduce the sugar to 1½ cups; add ½ cup orange marmalade with the strawberries.
Peach Pandowdy
A pandowdy is probably so named because of its “dowdy” appearance: a sweet fruit filling with a crust laid on top, the crust then is cracked while it bakes so that the fruit bubbles up and partially covers it. Makes 8 servings
4 tablespoons (½ stick) cool unsalted butter, plus additional for greasing the pan
2½ pounds fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced; or 2¼ pounds sliced frozen pitted peaches, thawed
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons brandy or rum
¼ cup solid vegetable shortening
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
½ teaspoon cider vinegar
1 large egg white beaten with 1 teaspoon water
1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Warmed Cream (recipe follows)
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly butter a 9-inch square baking pan; set aside.
Toss the peaches, 2 tablespoons flour, brown sugar, lemon zest, ¼ teaspoon salt, and the nutmeg in a large bowl. Pour into the prepared pan, spreading evenly to the corners. Drizzle with the brandy or rum. Set aside.
Mix the remaining 1 cup flour and ¼ teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter and shortening with a pastry cutter or a fork, pressing the fat and flour through the tines until the mixture resembles coarse sand without any butter or shortening visible.
Stir 2 tablespoons ice water and the vinegar in a small glass. Stir into the flour mixture with a fork, then add more ice water in 1-tablespoon increments just until the dough starts to adhere. Gather into a ball.
Sprinkle a few drops of water across the work surface, then lay down a large sheet of wax paper. Dust it lightly with flour and turn the dough out onto it. Press the dough with the heel of your hand into a compact, flattened ball, then dust it lightly with flour. Lay a second piece of wax paper over the top.
Roll the dough into a 9-inch square, exactly the size of the pan you’re using. If you work in alternating directions, turning the rolling pin 90 degrees after each change, you can get a pretty accurate square from the dough.
Peel off the top sheet of wax paper, then pick up the dough by picking up the bottom sheet of wax paper. Transfer it to the pan, invert the paper and dough, center the dough over the filling, and peel off the wax paper. Tuck any sides under the dough; don’t seal it to the edges. Make two 3-inch slits in the dough with a knife so that steam can escape.
Brush the dough with the egg white mixture, then sprinkle the granulated sugar and cinnamon over the crust.
Place the pan in the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 350°F. Bake until the crust is lightly browned, about 40 minutes.
Crack the crust into 6 or 7 pieces with a dinner knife, partially submerging the pieces’ edges into the fruit by pushing down with the knife. Continue baking until the filling is bubbling through the cracks, about 7 more minutes.
To cool: Set on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.
To store: Once completely cooled, the pandowdy can be tightly wrapped and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Variations: Substitute nectarines for the peaches.
Substitute 1 teaspoon ground ginger for the lemon zest.
Reduce the peaches to 1½ pounds fresh or 1¼ pounds frozen and add 2 cups (1 pint) raspberries with the remaining peaches. Add 2 tablespoons granulated sugar with the brown sugar.