Italian Crostata

by Shiela Labao

Have you ever dreamt of a giant cookie in the shape of a pie? If so, you're not alone. The Italians have something called a crostata. Which is basically a pie baked with a type of butter cookie crust and filled with jam. It's a glorious thing to behold and a very simple treat to make!

Crostatas are mainly filled with jam but if you're not the jam type of person, may I suggest filling it with a layer of Nutella? I'll leave you with that thought and my recipe for a 9 inch Rhubarb Strawberry Crostata. 

 

Italian Crostata

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cup AP Flour

1 stick + 2 tbsp Butter (melted)

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 cup Sugar

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 Egg Yolks

1/4 Jam

Tools:

9 inch Tart Plate with a removable bottom

1 Bowl

A small knife

A rolling pin

Parchment or Wax Paper

How to:

  1. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Mix well. 
  2. Add the melted butter, vanilla, and egg yolks. Mix until a dough forms. 
  3. Knead the dough a bit until it's no longer falling apart. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. 
  4. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. 
  5. Once the dough has chilled, take it out and slice 1/3 off. Set that smaller portion aside, this will be used for the lattice strips. 
  6. Using your hand, flatten the larger portion of dough. Sandwich it in between 2 sheets of paper. Use a rolling pin to flatten into a sheet of dough about 1/4 inch in thickness. 
  7. Once flattened, carefully lift the top sheet of paper off and flip the dough on top of a tart pan - dough side down. Carefully lift the remaining paper off the dough. 
  8. Use your fingers to tuck the edges of dough against the pan. Prick the bottom of the pan using a fork to avoid bubbles from forming in the oven. 
  9. Spread the jam evenly. 
  10. Roll the remaining portion of dough using the same paper method as above. Slice dough in strips (you'll use at least 10 strips) and arrange in a lattice style. 
  11. Brush the top of the crostata with melted butter and baked for 25-30 minutes. 
  12. Let cool completely before removing from the pan. 

 

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