Obviously, I am a pie lover.  I love pie for dessert, but I also think it’s pretty much the best breakfast food in the world.  With every season, I look forward to baking a different fruit pie with my farmer’s market bounty.  At the height of summer, when stone fruit is abundant and sweet as candy, I just can’t get enough, eating it with my yogurt in the morning, as a simple snack, on salads, in smoothies, and baked into cobblers. 

On those summer days when turning on the oven seems deranged (and making a pie crust equally masochistic), the less time spent in the kitchen the better.  Though I eschew store-bought pastry dough, Phyllo is something I un-apologetically get from the freezer section.  These turnovers still need to be baked, but with some care towards the handling of the phyllo they still yield a very satisfying “pie” without the demands of a traditional pastry crust. 

Light and crispy, they are delicious for dessert, breakfast, or both.  They do keep for a few days, but are best the first day when the phyllo is crispy.  To re-crisp on the second or third day, return to a 350 oven for 3-5 minutes.

Stone Fruit Phyllo Pies

6 medium nectarines (or peaches, apricots, etc), firm-ripe
3/4 to 1 c sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 c sliced almonds
packaged phyllo, thawed overnight in the fridge
1/4 c (4 tbsp/ half a stick) butter, melted and cooled to room temp

- pastry brush
- cling wrap
- one large or two standard cookie sheets lined with parchment

Preheat oven to 375

Cut nectarines in half and remove pits, then slice 1/4 inch thick.  In a large bowl, toss nectarine slices with sugar (less if fruit is very sweet, more if tart), lemon juice, and cinnamon until coated.  Add sliced almonds and stir to combine. 

Place two strips of cling wrap (side by side) on a work surface, then carefully unwrap phyllo, unrolling onto cling wrap.  Cut the stack of phyllo in half length-wise with a large, sharp knife.  Immediately and completely cover phyllo with more cling wrap, then with a dampened kitchen towel or paper towel. 

(Phyllo dries out very quickly, becoming brittle and impossible to work with; covering it with both cling wrap and a damp towel is the best method I’ve found for keeping it pliable for long enough to work with.) 

Remove two to four strips of phyllo and then re-cover the stack.  Place a dollop of nectarines at the close edge of the strip.  Brush the strip of phyllo lightly with the melted butter.  If using four sheets, brush two, then top with two more, then fruit.

Fold the bottom right corner across and over the fruit, then continue folding in a triangular shape, like a flag. 

At the top, brush the folded pastry with butter and fold edges over.  Sprinkle with sugar and transfer to baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining fruit and pastry.

Bake pastry for 20 - 30 minutes, or until phyllo is lightly golden and crispy.  Transfer to cooling rack and enjoy warm or room temperature.