What a fantastic dessert this eye-catching Peach Pizza is for a summer's dinner. Juicy peaches are abundant this time of year and coupled with a rich, buttery, French pâte brisée crust and tangy goat cheese filling, you are sure to be on the receiving end of kudos from happy diners.
Peach Pizza can be served warm or room temperature.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The flavor is out of this world wonderful.
- Be sure to cut it in front of everyone so they can see how gorgeous it is.
- It's perfect for a simple grilled or barbecued dinner or a more formal sit down affair.
- Every component of this dessert can be made ahead and assembled later.
- It has a few component parts but all of them are easy to make.
- You'll look like a genius when serving this.
Recipe Ingredients
Amaretti Crumble
COUNTERCLOCKWISE: Amaretti cookies, brown sugar, almonds, salt and butter
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Pâte Brisée Crust
COUNTERCLOCKWISE: Egg, cake flour, all-purpose flour, ice water, lemon juice, salt with unsalted butter in the middle.
Poached Peaches
COUNTERCLOCKWISE: Peaches, water, white wine, sugar, honey, vanilla and amaretto.
Goat Cheese Filling
BACK ROW: Goat Cheese, cream cheese
FRONT ROW: Milk, sugar, vanilla
- Use ripe peaches, but not overly ripe as they will turn to mush when poached. Unfortunately, when you buy them they are not usually marked as such. Cling free peaches simply have stones that don’t cling to the peach when you remove them. Basically they look a lot nicer when stoned and cut. All About Peaches has great information on this favorite fruit.
- There is a goat cheese with honey that seems readily available that is perfect for this recipe. I also cut the goat cheese with a bit of cream cheese to reduce the astringency.
- Amaretti cookies can be hard to find in grocery stores but I have great version of these Italian almond cookies that are very easy to make. One caveat - do not use home made almond paste for these. I have more information on this on my How to Make Almond Paste post.
- Tahitian Vanilla is my favorite for this recipe because of its floral flavor. However, any vanilla is fine.
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list and Instructions.
Step by Step Instructions
Amaretti Crumble
Step 1. Place all but the butter in the bowl of a processor.
Step 2. Process to coarsely break up the dry ingredients.
Step 3. Add the butter to the crumbs in the processor.
Step 4. The butter is pulsed in to form crumbs. Remove and refrigerate.
Pâte Brisée Crust
Step 1. Place both flours and salt in the bowl of the processor. Pulse to mix.
Step 2. Add the cold, cut butter to the processor.
Step 3. Pulse the butter in until it is the size of peas.
Step 4. Combine the liquids and pour them over the ingredients in the processor.
Step 5 . Pulse the ingredients until they form clumps.
Step 6. Remove the clumped up dough to a work surface.
Step 6. Shape the pastry into a smooth, flat round about 1" thick. Wrap in film and refrigerate for several hours or up to 3 days.
Step 7. Roll the pastry to about a 14" round and place it in the pizza pan. Make sure the edges of the pastry are firmly intact with the pan and form a 90° angle at the edge.
Step 8. Trim off any excess pastry.
Step 9. The crust is pricked with a fork to prevent it from bubbling up when it bakes.
Step 10. Spray a large piece of foil with a non-stick baking spray. Place it directly on top of the crust, making sure it fits into the edges. Fill with pie weights or beans.
Step 11. Bake the crust partially, remove the beans and foil and bake until golden brown and baked through. Set aside.
Poached Peaches
Step 1. Blanch and peel the peaches then cut them in half.
Step 2. Place all of the poaching ingredients in a large sauce pan.
Step 3. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil. Place the peaches, cut side down, reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes.
Step 4. Turn the peaches cut side up and poach for another 5 to 7 minutes. Do not over cook them. They should have softened somewhat but retain their shape.
Step 5. Remove the peaches from the syrup.
Step 6. Bring the syrup to a hard boil to start reducing it.
Step 7. Reduce the syrup until it is a thick concentrate but still spreadable. Set aside.
Assembly
Step 1. Stir all the ingredients for the goat cheese filling together.
Step 2. Spread the filling over the crust.
Step 3. Slice the peaches and arrange over the filling.
Step 4. Drizzle the syrup over the peaches and sprinkle with the amaretti crumbs. Bake as directed.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, but add a teaspoon of almond extract to make up for the flavor.
Don't use it. Just add 5 more ounces of cream cheese.
Peaches, like apples and other fruits and vegetables oxidize when they are cut and hit the air. However, if you blanch, peel and cool them wrap them in plastic wrap tightly and refrigerated, they can be held for a day or so without turning brown.
Expert Tips
- When making the pâte brisée crust make sure the butter is cut and very cold so it doesn't become incorporated into the dough when processing.
- The easiest way to peel the ripe peaches is to blanch them. The skins will slip right off.
- Reducing the poaching liquid concentrates the flavors. If, after sitting, the concentrate is too thick to drizzle, add a bit of water at a time to get it to the correct consistency.
- Each of the components can be made ahead so the pizza can be assembled several hours ahead of time. The pastry for the crust can be made up to 3 days ahead and held in the refrigerator or freeze for several months. Thaw in the refrigerator the day before using. Or it can be made, baked and then frozen on the pizza pan. The amaretti crumble, poached peach halves, the reduced sauce and goat cheese filling can be made up to 3 days before.
More Summer Fruit Desserts
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Peach Pizza
Equipment
- 12" pizza pan
Ingredients
Amaretti Crumble
- 6 to 7 amaretti cookies (25 grams)
- 3 tablespoons toasted almonds (25 grams)
- 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar (35 grams)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons butter, cold, cut in small pieces (22 grams
Pâte Brisée Crust
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (175 grams)
- ½ cup cake flour (50 grams)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup butter, cold, cut into small pieces (1 ½ sticks or 170 grams)
- 2 tablespoons beaten egg
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 5 tablespoons ice cold water, possibly a bit more
Poached Peaches
- 4 medium size peaches (about 1 pound)
- 1 cup dry white wine (I use a chardonay)
- 2 tablespoons Amaretto
- 3 tablespoons sugar (35 grams)
- 1 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Tahitian vanilla or any other vanilla
- ¼ cup water
Goat Cheese Filling
- 5 ounces goats cheese, room temperature (⅔ cup)
- 2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (¼ cup)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Tahitian vanilla or any other vanilla
- 2 teaspoons milk
Instructions
Amaretti Crumble
- Make this first and just wipe out the processor to make the pate brisee crust.
- Place all but the butter in the bowl of the food processor. Process to break up cookies and almonds. Add the butter in a circle and pulse to form crumbs. Do not over process or a paste will form.
- Remove to a bowl and refrigerate while preparing the rest of the recipe. Wipe out the bowl and continue for the crust. The crumble will last a week in the refrigerator or months in the freezer.
Pâte Brisée Crust
- Place the flours and salt in the processor bowl. Process to mix. Arrange the butter in a circle on top of the flours and process until the butter is cut in the size of peas.
- Mix the egg, lemon juice and water together. Pour over the flour mixture. Pulse the mixture until large clumps form. Do not let it ball up.
- If it doesn't clump together, add a bit more water. If the flour is very dry, add additional water by the teaspoon. Pour out onto a work surface. Push together to form a ball. Lightly flour the surface and knead the dough together a few times until it is smooth. Do not over knead.
- Flatten to a 1" round. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 60 to 90 minutes in the refrigerator or about 30 minutes in the freezer. This may be made the day ahead and refrigerated or up to a month ahead and frozen. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight to use.
Poached Peaches
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the peaches and blanch them for 4 to 5 minutes until the skins easily slip off as in the photo of the ingredients.
- As soon as they come from the hot water, run cold water over them and slip the skins off. Cut them in half to remove the seed and set the peaches aside. Place the remaining ingredients in a medium size saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Add the peaches, cut side down, reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes. Turn them over and poach for another 5 to 7 minutes. They should have softened somewhat but still retain their shape. Cool.
- Slice about ⅓ inch thick. Bring the syrup to a rolling boil and reduce to a syrup. Set aside.
Goat Cheese Filling
- Place all in a bowl and mix together with a spoon or whisk. Set aside.
Assembly
- Spray a 12 inch pizza pan and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Roll the pastry to about 13". Place in the pizza pan.
- Make sure it is pushed into the side of the pan. Cut off the excess. Prick with a fork and freeze for about 10 to 15 minutes. Spray a large piece of foil and place it, sprayed side down, directly on the pastry.
- Fill to the top with pie weights or beans to weight down the crust as it bakes. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the foil and beans by bringing up the 4 corners of the foil and bake another 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown and fully baked.
- Cool to room temperature. Leave the oven on if baking immediately. Spread the goat cheese filling over the crust.
- Arrange the peaches on top of the cheese. Drizzle with the reduced poaching syrup. (If the syrup is too thick, add water to obtain the right consistency.) Top with the amaretti crumble.
- At this point you can refrigerate it for several hours or bake it immediately. If baking right away, bake for about 15 to 18 minutes just until everything is very warm. Cool and serve at room temperature. If baking from the refrigerator, add a few more minutes. Store any left overs in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
Hilda says
Even though the weather has been unconducive to many fruits this year, it seems to me the peaches are wonderful. I must make this and very soon. I use a gravy separator for my ice water and I never get ice chips in my dough!
Helen S. Fletcher says
Great tip for the gravy separator. Thanks for sharing. I agree the peaches are smaller this year but oh so good. I also like they ripen on the counter. I have some that need another day or two before peach ice cream is on the menu.