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Have A Slice Of Pie Without All That Fat

Charlotte Balcomb Lane Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service

It’s hard to walk by a pile of fragrant peaches in the produce market and not develop a craving for fresh peach pie.

Crustless Peach and Pine Nut Pie is one of the easiest, most delectable pies you can make from the summer’s bounty of fruit. It features lightly dressed peaches under a crunchy oat-and-brown-sugar topping that is studded with toasted pine nuts.

The flavor is so good you won’t believe this pie has about half the fat of store-bought peach pie. The trick is doing without the doughy bottom crust, which can add 120 calories and 7 grams of fat per serving.You can also substitute nectarines or apricots. Cherries would taste wonderful, too, but try adding a tablespoon of extra flour to the fruit filling to thicken the juice.

Crustless Peach and Pine Nut Pie

Filling:

Nonstick cooking spray

5 ripe medium peaches, peeled and sliced (about 4 cups)

1 tablespoon flour

4 level tablespoons packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Topping:

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon honey

2 cups old-fashioned oats

1 tablespoon pine nuts

To make the filling: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9- or 10-inch ovenproof pie pan with the nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Combine the sliced peaches with flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice. Stir to mix well. Set aside while preparing crust.

To make the crust: In the bowl of a food processor or electric mixer, combine the flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, salt, butter and honey and beat until smooth and creamy. Stir in the oats and pine nuts to make a lumpy, streusel topping.

To assemble pie: Pour peach filling into prepared pie pan. Pat oat topping evenly over the entire surface of the pie. Bake for 30 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and crunchy and filling is bubbling. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Serve warm or cold.

Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 234 calories, 4 grams protein, 39 grams carbohydrate, 8 grams fat (31 percent fat calories), 16 milligrams cholesterol, 140 milligrams sodium.

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