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Rania's Recipes: Stone Fruit Pie & Plum Crostata

Rania Harris stopped by PTL to show off two seasonal desserts!

Stone Fruit Pie with Almond Streusel

Dough:

  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 5 tablespoons ice water

Streusel:

  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 6 tablespoons slivered almonds
  • 6 tablespoons rolled oats
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Filling:

  • 2-1/4 pounds assorted stone fruits, such as cherries, apricots, peaches and plums, pitted and sliced 1/3 inch thick (peaches and plums peeled first)
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ cup cornstarch

Directions:

Make the dough. In a food processor, combine the all-purpose flour with the granulated sugar, salt and baking powder and pulse to blend. Add the small pieces of cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture and pulse a few times, just until a dough starts to form. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead it a few times. Gather the dough, pat it into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until it is chilled and firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.

Meanwhile, make the streusel. In a large bowl, combine the light brown sugar with the flour, almonds, rolled oats, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter and, with a pastry cutter or your hands, cut or rub the cold butter pieces into the mixture evenly. Refrigerate the streusel.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 14-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Fold the dough in half and gently press it into the plate. Trim the overhanging dough to ½ inch and fold it under itself; crimp the dough decoratively. Freeze the pie shell for 10 minutes.

Make the filling. In a large bowl, toss the sliced fruit with the granulated sugar and lemon juice and let stand for about 5 minutes to let the sugar dissolve. Stir in the cornstarch. Scrape the fruit into the pie shell in an even layer, then scatter the streusel evenly on top of the fruit.

Bake the fruit pie in the lower third of the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes until the fruit starts to bubble around the side. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let it cool to room temperature, then cut the pie into wedges and serve.

Makes one 9-inch pie

Plum Crostata

  • 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • ½ cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
  • ¼ cup ice water
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon finely grated orange zest
  • 1 pound firm-but-ripe plums, pitted and cut into eighths
  • 1 large egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon of water

Directions:

In a food processor, add the 1-1/4 cups of flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar and the salt and pulse 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. Gather the dough and pat it into a disk. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 and position a rack in the lower third. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Working on a lightly floured surface, roll out the disk of dough to a 12-inch round; transfer to the baking sheet. Chill the dough until firm, 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the remaining ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar with the cornstarch, cinnamon and orange zest. Add the plums and toss well. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is mostly dissolved, about 15 minutes.

Arrange the fruit in the center of the dough, leaving a 1-1/2-inch border all around. Fold the edge of the dough up and over the plums. Brush the rim with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake the plum crostata for about 50 minutes, until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender and bubbling. Let the crostata cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.

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