Desserts, Food

Blueberry Crostata – Recipe!

A Crostata is an Italian Rustic Tart, usually free-form, made with seasonal fresh fruit. In France, they call a Rustic Tart a Galette, but the term is also used for flat cakes and pastries. In either case, they both make a wonderful base for blueberries, my favorite fruit.

The crust is an easy prep with a mixer, but traditionally made by hand — if you are careful, the results in a stand mixer turn out beautifully. Butter and shortening, or sometimes lard are the key to a good crust, and this is a place where skimping on ingredients, does not work out. Rolling the crust out as thin as possible, is another tip in making a scrumptious Crostata, because you want the edges to be thin and flaky.

The berries are easy enough – I added a little orange zest and juice to heighten the fresh flavors. Pour these little balls into the center of the dough, spread out within 4 inches of the edge and fold up slightly to create a large oval and bake.

This Blueberry Crostata is delightful and not too sweet – my kind of dessert. It is lovely served with a dollop of whipped cream, or just as it is, so you’ll appreciate the fruit and crumbly crust. It makes a great dessert for parties and is especially nice with tea with some friends.

Ingredients

Crust

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 stick cold butter, diced

3 tablespoon vegetable shortening

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup ice water

Fruit

6 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup sugar + more for sprinkling

2 tablespoons cornstarch

zest of 1 orange

juice of 1/2 an orange

1 egg for wash

(Serves 12)

To Prepare:

1. Preheat the oven to 375. In a stand mixer or large bowl, add the flour, sugar and salt. Stir to combine. Add in the diced butter and shortening, mix on low for 1 minute. Drizzle in the water, while the mixer is running — mix until the dough begins to come together (do not over mix). Dump out onto plastic wrap and form into a disc, chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

2. In a separate bowl, add the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, zest and juice of 1/2 an orange, stir to combine.

2. Remove from plastic and place on a flour dusted counter top. Roll out into a large oval, as thin as possible and place on a parchment or silpat lined sheet pan. Pour the blueberries in the center and spread out 4-inches from the edges. Then, fold the edges up around the fruit. Place the egg with 1 tablespoon of water into a bowl, and whisk. Brush edges with egg wash. Sprinkle the entire Crostata with sugar, including crust. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the crust is deep golden brown and the fruit is just starting to bubble.