This No-Fuss Dessert Recipe from D Magazine’s New Cookbook Is Perfect for Picnics

This recipe comes from Hand Made, a new cookbook by D Magazine executive editor Kathy Wise. Quarantine conditions forced Wise, a whiz in the kitchen and a frequent entertainer, to get creative with her culinary exploits: “As the world has changed, packing my dining table with people for informal dinner parties no longer made sense,” she says. “I needed a way to move the party outside, and I realized that if I came up with dishes, desserts, and batch cocktails that didn’t require utensils or a lot of fuss, I could entertain anywhere.” Her collection of more than 40 recipes are perfect for socially distant gatherings and backyard tailgates.

Recipe

Rustic Plum Crostata

Makes 4

Pâte Brisée
2½ cups Barton Springs Mill all-purpose Red Blend “00” flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, frozen and cut into pieces
½–¾ cup ice water
1 egg beaten with a little water or milk and a pinch of salt for egg wash

Plum Filling
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup unsalted roasted almonds
¼ cup flour
4 plums, halved, pitted, and sliced
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons Demerara sugar, plus more for sprinkling
4 teaspoons unsalted butter

1. Make pâte brisée: Place flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add butter pieces and pulse just until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 seconds. Add ice water in a slow, steady stream and pulse until the pastry just begins to hold together.


2. Divide dough evenly onto four pieces of plastic wrap. Pull up edges around dough and twist tightly to seal, pulling dough into a ball in the process. Flatten balls into disks, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.


3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup almonds, and ¼ cup flour in a food processor. Pulse until ground into a fine flour.


4. On a floured surface, roll dough into ¹/₈-inch-thick rounds. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets and freeze.


5. In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of Demerara sugar with cinnamon. Set aside.


6. Spread 2-3 tablespoons of almond mixture into the center of each round. Toss plum slices with sugar and cinnamon and arrange over the almond mixture. Fold edges of dough over the plums leaving an opening in the middle. Place one teaspoon of butter on top. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and return to freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.


7. Brush pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with Demerara sugar. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until plums are bubbling and pastry is golden brown.