Rustic Peach and Guava Turnovers
Peach season (or any fruit you want) is always an excuse to inject flavour and bring out the inherent subtle tastes. In this case, the whiskey will deepen the natural flavour of the peaches, as will the cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon. The guava jam adds to the sweetness (because, well, peaches are not THAT sweet, but that's okay!). They also give the turnovers a tropical flavour profile, and guavas have a unique taste and floral undertones as peaches do.
Like most recipes on this blog, you can tweak this one to your liking, but the result will be something quick and tasty.
Rustic Peach and Guava Turnovers
Ingredients
- 4 fresh peaches
- 2 tablespoons guava jam
- 1/4 cup bourbon or whiskey
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 2 pastry dough sheets
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- Fresh cream
- 2 tablespoons +
- 2 tablespoons butter + 1 tablespoon heavy cream OR 1 beaten egg (for wash)
- Whipped cream (optional)
- Turbinado sugar (optional)
- Icing sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Wash, pit, and dice the peaches, place in a large bowl. Transfer to a large pot, add 2 tablespoons butter, cinnamon sugar, nutmeg, salt, vanilla, jam, and whiskey. Cook down until all the ingredients are melted and combined and the sauce thickens., simmer for about 10-12 minutes on medium low heat, stirring frequently.
- Prep your pastry sheets (one at a time, keep them in the fridge until ready to use). Cut into the shapes you wish to form the turnovers. You can cut rectangles then fold the opposing corners to create a loose triangular shape.
- Fill with 1 teaspoon of filling (or more if you roll out the dough or cut into larger pieces). Seal the edges with a fork, then pierce the centre lightly to create an outlet for the hot air while the pastries bake.
- Brush the pastries with a mix of 2 tablespoons butter and the heavy cream or beaten egg. Sprinkle a pinch of sugar over each of the pastries.
- Bake at 375F for 12 minutes (follow the instructions on the packaging) - cook each sheet with filling one at a time.
- Broil for 1-2 minutes until light golden brown colour forms, cool for 5 minutes, then serve warm (optional: with whipped cream).
Nutrition Facts
Calories
99Fat (grams)
2.2Carbs (grams)
15.9Protein (grams)
1.2
Peach, Strawberry, and Rhubarb Crostata
Summer is the season of fresh, bountiful produce and finding creative ways to celebrate and enjoy the warm weather. I suggest using the crostata or galette as a vehicle to make use of your fruits and vegetables. This can help reduce waste, make room in the fridge, and whip together a quick meal if you have the pastry ready to go. You can apply this to both sweet and savoury - check out some galette recipes on the website, including Tomato, Thyme and Cheese, Pumpkin, Caramelized Onion, Blackberry, Mint and Ricotta, Cheesy Mushroom Galette with Ricotta and Gruyere, and Asparagus, Snap Pea, and Blue Cheese Galette.
In case you were wondering, “crostata” is essentially the Italian version of a (French) galette, not much of a difference, if any!
I decided to use three in-season fruits/vegetables. Namely, strawberries, peaches and rhubarb! They are a great balance of tartness and sweetness. The lemon, passion fruit, cinnamon, and other spices in the poaching liquid for this recipe will infuse complementary flavours into your filling. You can adjust the sugar depending on your sweetness tolerance; as well as the layering of the filling - you may want to add a few extra pieces on top of each other. This is the number one reasons why I love crostatas, these free form, open face pies are super customizable.
Ingredients
1 large peach, sliced into segments
1 large rhubarb stalk, cut lengthwise then into diagonal diamond-like shapes
1/3 cup strawberries, sliced in half, tops removed
4 cups passionfruit cocktail or fruit nectar (enough to cover the
2 lemon slices
3-4 tablespoons mirin
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
2 cinnamon sticks
2 anise stars
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup cane sugar
2 tablespoons fresh ginger
1 tablespoon sliced almonds
1 pie crust of your making/choice
Egg wash (1 egg + cream)
Turbinado sugar
Ice cream
Instructions
Start by simmering the poaching liquid in a pot deep enough to submerge the fruits/vegetables. Add the passion fruit cocktail, ginger, lemon slices, zest, vanilla extract, almond extract, balsamic, cinnamon and anise on low heat.
Add the sugars and mirin. Once the sugar dissolves, add the fruits and heat for about five minutes. Don't overcook! Remove from the pot, eat and strain — keep the liquid. You can cook it down with butter and make a drizzling sauce.
Arrange the rhubarb, peaches and strawberries in the center of the pie crust, leaving the outside rim of at least 1-2 inches. Fold them over, then brush with egg wash. Sprinkle some almonds and sugar, then bake at 400F for or until the crust is golden brown.
Serve warm with ice cream and eat immediately.
Peach-Infused Blueberry Pie
A recent trip to Portland, ME, inspired this recipe. I had no idea blueberries were the state fruit. As proof, you'll find blueberry cake on many dessert menus in Maine. Wild Maine blueberries are a unique variety only available at a particular time of the year, said to be smaller, juicier, and tastier than the more common type you'll find in the grocery store. Although I didn't get the chance to taste an authentic Maine blueberry dessert, here's a familiar favourite - blueberry pie!
I typically like to make open face, free form pies and am no stranger to cooking fruit, be it with a pastry or down into a jam-like consistency to make a coulis. If you are interested, check out these recipes:
If you love the taste of blueberries and want to enjoy their benefits in a unique form, this dessert is for you! The addition of lemon and cinnamon enhances the blueberry's natural flavour, and the peach nectar used to macerate them overnight another compliment. If you didn't know, yes, blueberries and peaches work well together, the perfect duo for the summer but maybe a lesser-known couple than, say, strawberries and rhubarb.
A note about the thickener - some people prefer their pies to have the juices running from the cooked down and burst berries. Others like myself want a sturdy filling that can hold up. So adding a thickener is optional but will help prevent your pie from becoming a watery mess. Again, do some research or use previous experience. Some people don't like cornstarch because too much can result in a slimy texture, for instance. Some people don't fancy using flour, but I find it works fine with blueberries and apples - you just have to double the amount compared to cornstarch. Those are the two most common thickening agents, but there are alternatives such as potato starch and arrowroot, to name a few.
Ingredients
1 lb. fresh blueberries
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup cane sugar (adjust depending on how sweet you like your pie)
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
5-6 fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup peach nectar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2-3 cinnamon sticks
2 tablespoons butter
2 pie crusts, room temperature
1 egg + 1 tablespoon (coconut) cream to make egg wash
1/2 cup flour or 1/4 cup corn starch or potato starch or arrowroot
Small cubes of butter
Turbinado sugar
Mascarpone cream or ice cream
Instructions
In a large bowl, add the washed and drained blueberries.
Mix in the peach nectar, lemon juice and zest, sugars, cinnamon and cinnamon sticks, mint leaves and salt. Leave in the fridge overnight (or for at least 4 hours) covered with plastic wrap.
The next day, stir the mixture and strain; keep the juice. Remove the cinnamon sticks and mint leaves.
Transfer the berries to a bowl, add the flour/thickener, mix and toss until the berries are completely covered.
Roll out one of the pie crusts and pour the macerated blueberries into the dish—place in the fridge.
Take the second pie crust and create your lattice. You can get creative! Use stencils or utensils, fabrics etc., shapes to imprint into the crust. Try to work quickly while the dough is somewhat cool before it gets too soft from your fingers' heat.
Place the shaped dough/lattice over the pie. Cut off any additional pieces hanging over the pan with kitchen shears. Seal the pie crusts with a teaspoon, then crimp the edges using two knuckles. Top the exposed parts of the pie with the butter cubes to prevent spillage and overflow from the berries' juices. Brush the pastry with the egg wash, then sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
Place the pie in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes, then at 350F for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown and the filling begins to bubble; cover the crust's edges with foil for the second half of baking to prevent them from burning.
In a small saucepan while the pie bakes, bring the remaining peach nectar with a bit of butter to a simmer, frequently stir until it thickens. Set aside.
Remove from the pie from heat and drizzle the peach nectar sauce in the gaps over the blueberries. Allow the pie to set for 10 minutes. Serve warm with mascarpone cream (whip with honey and lemon juice) or ice cream.
Easy Bourbon Peach Crumble
I love crumble, but I don't eat them enough. When I do, it usually has apple, but peaches are for the win too! During the summer, peach crumbles offer a subtle tartness, sweetness and crunch many of us appreciate in a light dessert. Served warm with ice cream or whipped cream, the spiced, caramelized peaches paired with a crunchy, buttery crumble melt together to make a sinfully good combination.
Add in some bourbon to enhance everything, and you have a fail-safe people pleaser!
As most people know, this dessert a variation of or considered interchangeable peach cobbler. I say crumble because of the way I prepared the pastry, crumbling the cookie-like dough versus having thicker, large pieces on top. Essentially it is the same as the classic out of the American South. Depends on how serious you take all the nuances!
You can convert this into another simple, delicious dessert. Check out my no-churn Bourbon Peach Crumble Ice Cream which you will love, here.
