11009 Apricot and Sweet Cherry Pandowdy 1 hr 35 mins 20 mins 8 servings Mon Apr 16 16:38:00 -0700 2007 Thu Jul 02 15:26:48 -0700 2009 Easy American CHOW http://www.chow.com/recipes/11009 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:26:48 GMT Shards of almond crust make it anything but dowdy Shards of almond crust make it anything but dowdy. Perhaps the odd name of this dish is what has kept it off the radar of most home cooks, but it’s perfect for those who lack confidence, because you break up the crust halfway through baking! This version combines apricots and sweet cherries and nestles them under an almond crust for a marzipanlike flavor, with an anything-but-dowdy outcome.

Game plan: The dough can be made up to a day in advance and refrigerated until ready to use. Let it rest at room temperature while preparing the fruit, then roll it out.

]]> For the dough:
  1. Combine sugar and almonds in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to a fine powder, about 20 1-second pulses. Whisk together almond mixture, flour, and salt in a large bowl until evenly combined. (Check out our Tips for the Perfect Pie Crust for pointers.)
  2. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, mix butter into flour mixture until butter is in pea-size pieces, about 3 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons ice water and almond extract and mix until dough just comes together. (Add the last tablespoon of ice water if necessary, but do not overwork the dough or it will become tough.)
  3. Shape dough into a disk and wrap it in plastic. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling out.
For the filling:
  1. Once the dough has rested, toss the fruit with the salt, lemon zest, and brown sugar in a large bowl until the fruit is well coated. Pour into a 2-quart baking dish and dot the fruit mixture with butter.
  2. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, place on a lightly floured surface, and roll out to 1/4-inch thickness (it should be large enough to fit over a shallow 2-quart baking dish with 1/2-inch overhang on all sides). Top the fruit mixture with the dough and tuck the edges into the dish.
To bake:
  1. Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
  2. Bake the pandowdy until the top has browned slightly and is crispy, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350°F.
  3. With a knife, score 2-inch squares in the crust. Spoon fruit juice over the top, then push the squares down slightly with the back of the spoon. Return the dish to the oven and bake until the fruit is tender and the pastry is browned on the edges and flaky, about 25 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes and serve.
]]> http://www.chow.com/assets/2007/08/pandowdy290x210.jpg Kate Ramos 54 Sweet/Dessert For the dough::

]]> 298 1/4 cup granulated sugar

]]> 265 3 ounces slivered, blanched almonds

]]> 1 cup all-purpose flour

]]> 301 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

]]> 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into small pieces

]]> 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

]]> 1/2 teaspoon almond extract**

]]> For the filling::

]]> 2 3 cups pitted and halved apricots (about 1 pound)

]]> 9 3 cups pitted Bing cherries (about 15 ounces)

]]> 301 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

]]> 43 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

]]> 298 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

]]> 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick), cut into small pieces

]]> 8251 classic american desserts 5931 kate ramos 644 summer 288 baked dessert 273 party 135 pastry 261 nuts 771 potluck 770 satisfying 608 almond 8225 marzipan 384 easy 776 fun 368 fruit 9249 summer fruit 9253 apricots 1100 cherries 435 vegetarian 1619 omnivore 2166 kids 9636 adults 755 travels well 8548 no fuss 680 impressive 772 brownie points 744 indulgent 5233 warm weather 812 old school 3282 seasonal 2900 sustainable 1021 comfort 5650 farmers' market 6074 spring ingredients 796 spring