SERVES 6 TO 8

Notes

Crostata or tart in Italy is as common as pie in America. It is one of the best ways to showcase seasonal fruit as a dessert.

Ingredients

  • DOUGH
  • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • FILLING
  • 8 ounces dried apricots, halved
  • Juice of 1 lemon, freshly squeezed
  • ½ cup apricot preserves
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 large egg, beaten, for brushing
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
Lidia’s Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine

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Lidia’s Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine

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Directions

For the dough: In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, and pulse just to combine. Sprinkle in the butter pieces, and pulse to form small lumps of butter and flour. Beat the egg yolks with 1 tablespoon cold water, and drizzle them into the processor. Pulse in short bursts just until the dough comes together in a few big clumps. Add a little more water if the dough is still lumpy and dry, or a little more flour if it forms a sticky ball on the blade.

Dump the dough onto a floured counter, and knead it a few times, just to bring it together. Flatten it into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour (or up to a day).

For the filling: In a medium saucepan, combine the apricots, lemon juice, and 1 cup water. Cover, and simmer gently until the apricots begin to plump, about 5 minutes. Stir in the preserves and sugar, and simmer, uncovered, until the apricots are glazed with a thick syrup, about 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the filling to a bowl, cool it to room temperature while you roll the dough, then stir in the blueberries.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the dough from the refrigerator 10 minutes before you’re ready to roll it. Roll the dough between two floured pieces of parchment to about an 11-inch circle. With a pizza cutter, trim the dough into a circle. Transfer it to a sheet pan, still on the bottom parchment.

Spread the filling on the circle of dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold a 2-inch border over the filling, until you have folded the whole tart, leaving the center bare. Bake 20 minutes, or until the dough is set. Brush the crust with the egg, and sprinkle it with the sugar. Bake until the filling is bubbly and the crust is a deep golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes total. Let it cool on the sheet pan before cutting into wedges.

Lidia’s Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine

Cookbook

Lidia’s Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine

Buy Now