Individual Deep Dish Nectarine Crumb Pies

Yesterday was my 27 year anniversary to my husband, and although we could have gone to a million places for dinner I thought it would be nice to just stay home and have dinner.  My daughter was in town after finishing up her junior year of college and heading back to school for the summer in the morning. So having a nice home cooked meal just sounded better.  I decided to grill some nice Rib Eyes, make a delicious Panzanella Salad with baked potatoes and my daughter who loves to bake, wanted to make something special.

Since we’re all fans of dessert, she decided on Individual Deep Dish Peach Crumb Pies, however, when we got to the grocery store the Peaches just didn’t look so great, so we opted for the Nectarines which were sweet, ripe and delicious.

There’s something about getting your own special serving of dessert.  Not like a slice of pie but your own special portion made especially for you.

This recipe is so simple and creates stunning results that will have your guests oohing and aahing when they see it, then taste it, and wishing they could be such a great cook.  However, you’ll be the only one to know just how simple this was to create.

To insure that all goes smooth you just need to prep all your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready when you need to use them (“Mise en Place”). 

*You will need four, 6 ounce (3/4-cup) ramekins plus a 6-7 inch metal ring or round lid for cutting the dough. (I used the top to one of my glass bowls).

Individual Deep Dish Nectarine Crumb Pies
serves 4

Ingredients:
1 box Pillsbury (14.1 ounce) pie crusts (found at your grocery store)

Nectarine Filling:

6 ripe medium Nectarines, pitted, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Streusel:

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon superfine sugar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. degrees.  Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.  Butter the insides of the four 6-ounce ramekins.  Dust the insides well with flour, being sure they are comepletly coated, and tap out the excess flour.  Set aside.

Filling Directions:

Combine the Nectarines, brown sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla in a medium bowl.  Mix and let stand while preparing the crumb pies.

Streusel Directions:

Combine the flour, superfine sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Stir the melted butter and vanilla together in another small bowl.  Gradually stir the butter mixture into the flour mixture, just until evenly moistened (you may not need all the butter).  Squeeze the mixture in your hands until thoroughly combined.  Crumble the mixture in the bowl to make fine crumbs with some small lumps.  Set the streusel aside.

On a lightly floured surface, open one of the packages of pie crust, unroll, and with a rolling pin, roll the dough until it’s about 1/8 of an inch thick.  Using a 6-7 inch ring, etc. as a template, cut out 4 rounds of dough.  You may have to reroll the scraps together after the first 2 are cut.  Place the rounds into each one of the 4 ramekins and place in the refrigerator so they don’t get too soft while working on the others.

Be sure to fit the rounds of dough into the ramekins by pressing evenly into the corners.  Let the excess dough hang over the top and sides of the ramekin. Place ramekins onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Scoop the filling into the shells, piling it just above the edge of the ramekin.  One at a time, pleat the pastry over the filling – the center of the filling will be exposed.  Gently press the streusel over the top of the dough and filling.

Bake until the tops are nicely browned, 50-60 minutes.  If the tops start to brown too much you can tent them with foil.  Transfer the ramekins to a wire rack and cool, about 20 minutes.  (Do not let the pies cool completely, or they may stick to the ramekins and be difficult to remove.  If this happens, you can still eat the pies directly in the ramekins.  It’s not necessary to remove them, but does make a nice presentation, especially if you decided to serve them with ice cream.

To unmold the pies, carefully run a knife around the inside of the ramekin to loosen the crust, and invert the pie into your hand to unmold.  Place the pie right side up onto the the wire rack or a plate.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

These would also be great made with peaches, apples or blueberries or even a combination of any or all of them.

Enjoy!