A Delicious Pandowdy Recipe Featuring Apricots and Sweet Cherries
Say Hey to the Apricot-Cherry Pandowdy! 🍐🍒💕
Tackle this easy-peasy dessert recipe that'll make you look like a pro in the kitchen! This bad boy's named "Apricot-Cherry Pandowdy," and it's like a sweet cherry on top for bakers who ain't got the full confidence to nail a pie. You'll be servin' up something beyond fab, 'cause this guy combines apricots 'n cherries under an almond-flavored crust. Get ready to be amazed, 'cause this dessert ain't just delish, it's a showstopper too!
Plan of Attack: Prep your dough up to a day ahead and keep it chill in the fridge. Bring it outta the cold when it's time to roll it out.
Here's a fun fact: Our Apricot-Cherry Pandowdy was right at home on our Summer Fruit Desserts recipe showcase!
📊 Quantities: Enough to satisfy 8 sweet treats👷♂️ Difficulty Level: A piece of cake 🎂🕒 Total Cook Time: Approx. 2 hours
Ingredients (13)
For the dough:
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 oz. of slivered, blanched almonds
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus some extra for the work surface
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into small chunks
- 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
For the filling:
- 3 cups of pit-popped, halfed apricots (about 1 pound)
- 3 cups of pitted, halved Bing cherries (about 15 ounces)
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick), cut into small chunks
Instructions
For the dough:
- Pulse the sugar 'n almonds in a food processor, about 20 (1-second) pulses, 'til it's fine and powdery.
- In a big ol' bowl, whisk together the almond mixture, flour, and salt.
- Here's where the magic happens - blend the butter into the flour mixture until it's the size of peas, about 3 minutes.
- Mix in the 3 tablespoons of ice water and the almond extract until the dough just comes together. If it ain't quite doing the trick, add another tablespoon of ice water, but don't overdo it or the dough'll get tough.
- Roll the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and park it in the fridge for 30 minutes before you roll it outta there.
For the filling:
- After the dough has some time to chill, let's get the fruit prepped. Toss the apricots 'n cherries with salt, lemon zest, and brown sugar 'til they're well-coated. Pop 'em into a shallow 2-quart baking dish, scatter the butter over the fruit, and you're ready to top it off!
- Roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface until it's about 1/4-inch thick. The dough should be big enough to cover the baking dish with a 1/2-inch overhang on all sides. Plop that bad boy on top of the fruit, tuck the edges into the dish, and get ready for the final countdown!
To bake:
- Crank the oven to 400°F and find a rack to park it in the middle.
- Bake the pandowdy until the top has lightly browned 'n crisped up, about 20 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350°F.
- Using a knife, make short work of the crust by scoring diagonal lines about 2 inches apart. You'll wanna be able to see 'em after you spoon some fruit juice over the top with a ladle. With the back of the spoon, push the squares down slightly and let 'er rip back in the oven.
- Cook till the fruit's tender and the pastry's golden and flaky, about 25 minutes. Give 'er 30 minutes to cool down, and you're ready to dig in!
📘 Ya know what else? Pandowdies have been part of American cuisine for centuries! They're an American adaptation of English desserts that resemble pies. The name "pandowdy" might come from the messy appearance of the dessert after baking, as the pastry crust may get all broken up during the process.
Traditional pandowdies often star fruit like apples, cherries, and apricots, based on availability. So, feel free to customize the filling with different fruits to keep things creative! 🎉🍽️⏰
- Your confidence will soar as you prepare the almond-flavored dough for the Apricot-Cherry Pandowdy, a dessert that's both nutritious and visually appealing, perfect for showcasing at Summer Fruit Desserts events.
- Remember, the filling for this recipe consists not just of the combined apricots and cherries, but also includes brown sugar, salt, lemon zest, and butter, which all combine to produce a delightful flavor combination when baked under the almond-flavored crust.
- As a bonus, once you've mastered this recipe, you can customize it by swapping the fruits used in the filling, giving you the creditline for creating unique and delicious dessert variations in the future.
