Peach Panzanella Recipe| Dessert Panzanella

My First Original Dessert

This dessert was the first that I created myself when I was promoted to pastry chef at Luma on Park (now closed after almost 20 years. Alas.)

I had had input on recipes before, and I had created what the chef or pastry chef had suggested, but this baby is all mine.

And now it’s yours, too!

Dessert Peach Panzanella is obviously a play on the wonderful Italian salad, Panzanella which features torn bread, juicy tomatoes and sometimes other vegetables, a flavorful dressing, and fresh mozzarella cheese.

My original dessert version featured cubed lemon poppy seed pound cake playing the part of the bread.

In this version, I slightly modified the recipe for cornmeal biscuits from Jackie Garvin’s wonderful cookbook, Biscuits: Sweet and Savory Southern Recipes for the All-American Kitchen.

She suggests you serve the original version with a hearty stew, and I concur.

All I had to do to make them dessert-ready was to add a touch of sugar, a sprinkle of nutmeg and a dusting of coarse sugar after I brushed them with buttermilk.

I have to say I like this version of my dessert better than the original.

The sweetness of the cornmeal really plays nicely with the juicy stone fruit.

Variations

I used a mixture of white peaches, red and black plums and pluots, but you can use whatever looks great at your market.

Some suggestions:

• Apricots
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Cherries (pitted, please!)
• Mangoes

Another option is to change up the spicing in the biscuits.

I used nutmeg, but some ginger would be a welcome addition and would also complement the peaches nicely.

You can also take the concept and adapt it to any fruit in any season.

For example, switch up the mint for warmer spices and use lightly sauteed apples and sliced pears in place of the peaches, and you have a dessert panzanella perfect for cooler nights and shorter days.

How to Make the Biscuits

The slightly sweet, nutmeg-scented cornmeal biscuits complement the peaches (and other stone fruit) beautifully.

Here’s what you’ll need to make them.

• all-purpose flour: provides the bulk and crumb structure for the biscuits, plus enough gluten so they hold together
• fine cornmeal: adds bulk and texture as well as color without adding extra gluten. Cornmeal biscuits will be more tender than all wheat flour biscuits
• raw sugar: you may use granulated sugar or even brown sugar here. I like the large crystals of Sugar in the Raw because I like a bit of crunch every once in awhile
• baking powder: provides leavening
• salt: brings out all the flavors. NOTE: You can substitute self-rising flour for the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
• nutmeg: Adds a warm flavor note that goes nicely with the peaches. You could also use ginger if you’d rather. If you’re feeling fancy, add some minced crystalized ginger as well for little chewy pops of gingery goodness baked right into the biscuits
• butter: provides fat to tenderize and carry flavor. Also helps provide leavening in the form of steam when the butter melts and the water boils out
• buttermilk: adds a nice tang to the biscuits as well as tenderizing the crumb thanks to its acidic nature

These biscuits, as with most American-style biscuits, are made using The Biscuit Method.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, sugar, leavening, salt, and nutmeg.
2. Cut the cold butter in pieces and toss together with the dry ingredients.
3. Rub some of the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers, leaving some pieces about the size of a pea. The rest of the mixture should get somewhat mealy.
4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk.
5. Mix until barely combined and you have a shaggy dough.
6. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press it together into a rectangle.
7. Roll the dough out until it’s about 1/4″ thick.
8. Now, fold it in thirds like a letter. You may need to use your bench knife to help.
9. Then, fold it in thirds again the other way, so you have a thick little square packet.
10. Roll out this packet until it’s about 1/2″ thick.
11. Cut out rounds with a biscuit cutter, or use your bench knife to cut the biscuits into squares.
12. Place them in a large cast iron pan or on a parchment-lined sheet tray.
13. Brush the tops with buttermilk and then sprinkle on a little bit more raw sugar.
14. Bake at high temperature (450F) for 15-17 minutes.

PRO TIP: The biscuits will soak up more mint dressing when they’re still warm.

How to Make the Dressing

The entire “salad” is dressed with a minted simple syrup. Here’s to make it.

• Dilute homemade sour mix with a bit more plain simple syrup
• Infuse it with fresh mint from the garden.

Finish the salad with chiffonade mint (or basil even) and a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Dessert panzanella is a light and fresh way to end a summertime meal.

More Recipes Featuring Stone Fruits

Savory

• Grilled Peaches, Basil and Honey Appetizer from Miss in the Kitchen
• Black Plum, Avocado, and Mozzarella Salad from The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Peach Barbecue Sauce from Stetted
• Lamb and Fresh Plum Tagine from Spiceroots
• Pan-Seared Duck Breasts with Fresh Plum Sauce (GF) from The Heritage Cook

Sweet

• Hot Curried Georgia Peaches from Never Enough Thyme
• Peach-Bourbon Upside Down Cake from Creative Culinary
• Peach Raspberry Galette from That Skinny Chic Can Bake
• Yogurt Plum Coffee Cake from girlichef
• Gluten-Free Apricot Almond Frangipane Tart from Jeanette’s Healthy Living
• Stone Fruit Cobbler  from Food Hunter’s Guide

If you have questions about this post or recipe, don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can leave a comment on the post and I will get back to you within about 24 hours.

If your question is more urgent, please shoot me an email, and I will respond within 4 hours, unless I’m asleep.

NOTE: Most of my recipes are written by weight and not volume, even the liquids.

Even though I try to provide you with volume measurements as well, I encourage you to buy a kitchen scale for ease of measuring, accuracy, and consistency.

This is the scale I use, love, and recommend. If you’re unsure, please read my post about how to use a food scale.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read today.

Take care, enjoy the peach panzanella dessert recipe, and have a lovely day.