berry crostatas

blackberry crostata with vanilla ice cream

This dessert is epically good. Serious, no kidding. For someone who is a pie klutz (more on that another day), this recipe was easy and oh so delicious. The hubs and I enjoyed this so much, we didn’t share this with anyone who walked through our door during the holiday season. We just wanted this for ourselves (greed!). For someone who doesn’t like very sweet desserts, this was just right. I also chose this recipe as you don’t need to toss the fruit in any flour or sugar. I made about 4 of these as I halved the recipe. I am pretty sure you can make the full crust recipe and make a huge tart as well.

Do note that if you use a fruit with a higher water content, you might need to either cook it down a little or toss it in some flour.

Berry Crostatas

(taken from Annie’s Eats)

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sugar, divided
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into small pieces
  • 4 tbsp. ice water
  • 1-1½ cups berries (I just used blackberries)
  • 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten with 1 tbsp. milk

Method:

  1. To make the crust, combine ½ cup of the sugar with the flour and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Mix briefly to blend.  Add in the butter pieces and mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and the largest butter pieces are the size of peas. This can also be done with a food processor or by hand with a pastry cutter.
  2. Add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing on low speed until the dough comes together.  Form into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  3. Preheat the oven to 450°F.  Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.  Form each into a ball.
  4. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each dough piece into ¼-inch thick rounds.
  5. Transfer the rounds to a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.  Add about ¼ cup of berries into the center of each dough round, leaving a 1½-inch border around the edge.
  6. Fold the edges up around the fruit, pinching as needed to keep the dough in place.
  7. Generously sprinkle the remaining sugar over the top of the fruit.  Brush the edges of the crusts evenly with the egg wash.
  8. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the crust is light golden brown.  Cool for no more than 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to serving plates.
  9. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

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