This recipe is a year round treat, great for dinner parties, brunches, or simply because it’s your daughter’s favorite (May this is for you babydoll). Not to mention this crostata will make you look like a talented pastry chef!!
I think of this recipe in two parts: the pastry and the filling. The pastry can be made in advance, kept wrapped tightly in the freezer, while the filling is made the day of using fresh seasonal fruit(s) of your choice. My family LOVES when I make this during summer with fresh peaches and blueberries…out of control delicious!!! This time around I used pears: Anjou and Bartlette. Both are sweet and soft when fully ripe, but I chose pears that were still firm, as they soften up when baked. I will also be serving this with vanilla ice cream…why the heck not!?
For the Pastry:
Ingredients (makes 2 crostatas):
2 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Superfine Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
6 TBSP Ice Water
In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse a few times to combine. Add cubed butter. Carefully coat butter with flour mixture. Pulse about 15 times until mixture begins to form pea sized balls. With motor running, add the ice water, and stop just before dough comes together.
Turn out the mixture onto a floured surface and roll into a large ball. Next, divide the ball in half and form 2 flat disks. Wrap each disk with parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour if using the same day. If not, cover the parchment wrapped disk with foil and freeze.
Preheat Oven to 450°
For the Filling:
Ingredients (makes 1 crostata)
3-4 Pears peeled (I used 2 Anjou and 2 Bartlett)
1 TBSP Flour
1 TBSP Sugar
1 TBSP Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Freshly grated orange zest
Optional: 1/4 tsp Nutmeg or Allspice
Slice pears, place in bowl, and coat with flour, sugar, cinnamon, and orange zest. Set aside.
For the Topping:
Ingredients
1/4 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
4 TBSP Cold unsalted butter or ½ stick, diced
Place in food processor fitted with a steel blade and add flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Add butter and carefully coat with flour mixture. Pulse until mixture is crumbly.
Roll out dough to about 10-11 inches on a sheet of floured parchment paper. Transfer parchment with pastry to a baking sheet. Arrange pears in a circle working your way out leaving a ½ inch border all around. Gently fold pastry over the edge of the fruit making pleats along the way.
Tip: I have found that adding a piece of foil under the parchment, then wrapping into a ring around the finished crostata helps maintain the shape as the butter melts.
Sprinkle topping over the fruit.
Bake 20-25 minutes (at 450°) until crust is golden and fruit is tender. Let cool about 5 minutes. Serve warm or eat at room temperature. Shhhh, we like to eat it cold for breakfast the next day…hey it has fruit right?! Enjoy…XO
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