The Houndstooth Gourmet

Need a patriotic dessert for this 4th of July? How about making an easy crostada with berries? I used seasonal raspberries and blueberries for the red and blue colors, and the dotted topping looks kind of white. Close enough! I made this crostata last year and was very happy with the results, being that I don’t think I’m a baker in any sense. Basically, the crostata is an easy pie dough which you blind bake for the bottom, then you make more “dough” to dot the top.

Cherry Berry Crostata

 

 

Ingredients

Bottom 

• • 1 cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 stick cold butter, cut into 8 pieces
  • 3 tablespoons ice cold water

Filling

• • 4 cups fruit-I used cherries and raspberries
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

Topping

• • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 stick cold butter cut into 4 pieces
  • pinch salt

 Glaze

• • 1/3 cup apricot preserves

Directions

Add the flour, sugar and salt to a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse 4-5 times to combine. Add the butter and pulse 12-15 times until the butter and dry ingredients come together into pea-size pieces. Run the food processor on continuous and add the ice water through the feed tube. Stop the processor when the dough just comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and roll it into a ball. Flattent the dough into a disk and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at leas an hour, or over night.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Roll the dough out onto a floured board into an 11 inch round.  Transfer dough to a 10-inch tart pan that has been treated with non-stick baking spray. If your dough sticks, as mine did, and you can not pick it up easily to transfer it, just press the dough evenly into the tart pan.

Blind bake the dough in the oven, on middle rack, or 8 minutes.

For the filling, combine the fruit, flour and sugar. Combine to coat evenly. Allow to sit while dough is baking.

For the topping, pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor 5-6 times to combine. Add butter and pulse until it is crumbly and will hold together when it is pinched

Pour the fruit into the baked dough. Pinch off topping and dot the top of the pie. Bake on middle rack of oven for 20-25 minutes. allow to cool for 10 minutes. Heat preserves over medium heat until it becomes loose. Brush preserves over top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serve with fresh whipped cream that has been flavored with 1 teaspoon of almond extract (if you are using cherries, otherwise omit), powdered sugar and lemon zest.

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Tags: berries, pastry, Recipe, baking //