A pandowdy is simply a one-crust pie, with the crust on the top. I love making them because (a) they're quick to put together, and (b) the soggy bottom crust is eliminated by simply eliminating the bottom crust.
Lazy chef cheat -- I always keep a box or two of Pillsbury pastry crusts in the freezer so I can do a pie on the fly. I will confess my sin on Saturday. Honestly, though, they're really quite good.
Cut up enough peaches, plums, and nectarines to make five to six cups cut-up fruit. You can take the time to peel the fruit, but honestly, it pretty much disintegrates when cooking and it's a waste of time. And forget about trying to peel a plum.
Sprinkle the fruit with a good cup of sugar, and add 2 tablespoons Minute® Tapioca. Sprinkle some cinnamon, a few grates of nutmeg, a pinch of salt. Let it sit for 5 minutes while you prep the baking dish.
Spray a 6-cup baking dish with release spray. Dump in the sugared fruit. Dot with butter.
Unroll the Pillsbury crust and cut it into strips (I use a ravioli cutter -- a paring knife will suffice.) Lay the strips on top of the fruit in any sort of pattern you like. Random looks quite fetching.
Paint with some cream or half-n-half. Sprinkle some coarse brown (turbinado) sugar on top, and pop into a 400°F oven until the crust is nicely browned, and the fruit is bubbling up all around the edges, 45-55 minutes. I use the convection setting on my oven, which encourages a nice browning of the crust.
Lazy chef cheat -- put the baking dish on a sheet pan which has been covered with Reynolds® Non-Stick Foil. You will thank yourself later after the fruit syrup bubbles up and over the baking dish.
How beautiful is that?
Looks beautiful!
ReplyDelete