A Crostata is the Italian answer to an American tart, or pie. The Crust, though, is made of what we call Pasta Frolla. Frolla means friable, crunchy but soft, and buttery. ,It can be whipped to a mousse and it can be used also to make cookies. Definitely the Crostata’s crust doesn’t have the same texture of the traditional flaky pie, but it’s utterly delicious nevertheless.
The typical Crostata is decorated with strips of dough intertwined in a lattice pattern.
The filling is a traditional Frangipane or an almond flavored cream.
I used Pears for my recipe today, but one could use Apricots, Peaches, Nectarines or later in the season Cranberries.
A Crostata that doens’t know seasonality, ideal to accompany your coffee at breakfast or served warm with an ice cream
PEAR CROSTATA
Ingredients for a 9 inch Tart pan
PASTA FROLLA DOUGH
250 gr flour
a pinch of salt
30 gr cocoa
100 gr powder sugar
120 gr butter
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 t baking powder
2 OR 3 BOSC PEARS TO GARNISH (or stone fruit)
Directions:
Place all the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Mix to blend.
Add the butter and pulse until you get a nice fine “sand” with no visible butter pieces.
Add the eggs and mix until it forms a dough ball. Wrap in clear wrap and refrigerate while you prep the Filling.
FRANGIPANE CREAM:
100 gr butter
100 gr powder sugar
100 gr almond meal
1 egg
Almond flavoring
a pinch of salt
Beat the butter until light and fluffy, add the egg and continue to beat to a light and fluffy color. Add the sugar and fold in the almond meal by hand. Set aside.
Assemble the tart:
Roll out the chocolate dough and fold a tart pan with it.
Spread the Frangipane cream inside it. Make a nice leveled surface, I use an offset spatula.
Slice or cut in half the peeled pears (or ANY stone fruit) and artfully arrange it like the picture below.
Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or longer depending on the shape of the pan. Needs to be golden on top.
I used scraps of the chocolate dough to cut out little flowers. I filled the core of the pears with Amaretti cookies.
Enjoy!!
