Description
This recipe delivers simple, heartwarming peach dumplings, featuring flaky pastry wrapped around juicy peaches filled with brown sugar and butter, all baked in a sweet cardamom-orange blossom syrup until golden.
Ingredients
- 4 large (approx. 1.75 lbs) firm-ripe peaches
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 0.5 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar (for dough)
- 0.5 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very cold and cut into 0.5 inch cubes
- 0.25 cup ice water
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar (for peach cavity)
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 4 small pieces (for peach cavity)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (for syrup)
- 1 cup water (for syrup)
- 0.25 cup (0.5 stick) unsalted butter (for syrup)
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp orange blossom water
- 0.25 cup shelled pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped
- 0.5 tsp dried edible rose petals
Instructions
- Prep Peaches: Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Carefully peel, halve, and pit the peaches, setting them aside.
- Make Dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and 1 tbsp granulated sugar. Add the very cold butter cubes and cut into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces. Gradually add 0.25 cup ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing gently until the dough just comes together. Form into a disk, wrap tightly, and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- Roll and Cut Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough into a 12×12 inch square, about 0.125 inch thick. Using a sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut the dough into 4 equal squares.
- Assemble Dumplings: Place one peach half, cut-side up, in the center of each dough square. Fill the peach cavity with 0.5 tbsp light brown sugar and a small 0.25 tbsp piece of butter. Gently bring the corners of the dough up and over the peach, pinching the seams to seal them securely, leaving a small opening at the top. Place the sealed peach dumplings seam-side down in a 9×9 inch baking dish.
- Prepare Syrup: In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup water, 0.25 cup butter, and ground cardamom. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring continuously until the sugar is fully dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in the orange blossom water.
- Pour Syrup and Bake: Pour the warm syrup evenly over the peach dumplings in the baking dish. Bake for 45-55 minutes at 375F, or until the pastry is golden brown and flaky, and peaches are tender. Halfway through baking (around 25 minutes), carefully baste the dumplings with the warm syrup.
- Toast Pistachios: While baking, toast the shelled pistachios in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes, shaking frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden. Remove from heat and roughly chop them.
- Cool Before Serving: Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the dumplings cool in the syrup for 10-15 minutes before serving.
- Serve with Flair: Transfer individual peach dumplings to bowls. Spoon a generous amount of the warm syrup over each. Sprinkle generously with toasted pistachios and dried edible rose petals.
Notes
Nectarines or apples can replace peaches. Store-bought puff pastry or biscuit dough can be used for a quicker approach. Cinnamon or nutmeg can substitute cardamom. Vanilla extract or maple syrup can replace orange blossom water. Reduce butter in syrup by a quarter or use sugar-free sweetener for a lighter version. For a spicy kick, add 0.5 tsp ground ginger to the syrup. Do not overfill dumplings to prevent bursting. Ensure syrup evenly covers dumplings for best browning and moisture.
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: General American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 dumpling
- Calories: 480 calories
- Sugar: 45 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
Keywords: peach dumplings, easy dessert, cardamom, orange blossom, pistachios, flaky pastry, baking, fruit dessert