Cherry Apricot Crostata With Ricotta Filling Recipe 455

CHERRY & APRICOT CROSTATA WITH RICOTTA FILLING RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• Cut one stick of butter into 1/4-inch cubes or shred with a grater into a bowl (my preferred method). Place butter in the freezer for at least an hour. (You may also do this a day or two in advance.) Make the dough: Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor, and pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of small peas or pebbles. Now, slowly add the ice water, and pulse just until the dough begins to come together. You don't want to over-blend or over work the dough. NOTE: The dough should stick together, like pie dough. It should not be super soft. Simply gently pat the dough into a disc, and wrap it in a piece of plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour (helps to relax any gluten, so the crust will be tender). To make the filling: Whisk together the ricotta, two egg yolks, vanilla, sugar and orange zest. Place back in the fridge until you're ready to make the crostata. For the fruit: Add the sugar, lemon juice and almond extract. Stir gently to combine. NOTE: Clearjel can be purchased either through Amazon or on King Arthur Flour.com It's a pie filling thickener, and I love it because I don't get runny fruit. Taste a small bite of each fruit, and gauge how sweet you want it to be. Add more sugar, if you need to. Set aside. For the crostata: Remove the dough from the fridge. You might have to let it sit for 10-15 minutes, until it is pliable enough to roll out the dough to roughly 9" in diameter, on a lightly floured surface. Don't worry about how it looks. The crust doesn't need to be too thin or perfectly shaped - in fact, part of the charm of the crostata is its odd and rustic shape. Once rolled out, place on a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and pop back into the fridge until you're ready to assemble. NOTE: I actually rolled out the dough on parchment paper, and simply lifted it onto the baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350F. Remove the chilled crust from the fridge. If using the jam, evenly spread a thin layer, leaving about a 3" border. Carefully pour the ricotta filling into the center of the crust. Using a spatula, spread it evenly, being careful to leave about a 3" border-- you'll be folding over the dough to create the "crust". Pile enough of the the fruit on top of the ricotta filling, that will fit in the center of the crust, making sure to leave about 3 inches around the edges to fold over. Brush the egg wash over the crust. Sprinkle coarse sugar on top, for a delightful crunch. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the edges start to brown. NOTE: My crostata took about 50 minutes to bake, as the dough need more flour, and it melted. Next time, I'll increase the flour (as corrected in this recipe). Allow to cool until slightly warm. Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar and a side of vanilla ice cream, or fresh whipped cream.

APRICOT CROSTATA

Steps:

• Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Beat in egg and vanilla.
• Reduce speed to low and mix in flour, salt, and lemon zest until mixture just forms a dough.
• Shape dough into 2 balls, 1 slightly larger than the other.
• Flatten each ball into a 5-inch disk, then wrap each in wax paper and chill 30 minutes.
• Stir together preserves, lemon juice, and extract in a small bowl.
• Roll out thicker piece of dough (keep remaining piece chilled) between 2 sheets of wax paper into an 11-inch round.
• Remove top sheet of paper and invert dough into a 9- by 1-inch fluted round tart pan with a removable bottom.
• Peel off paper and fit dough into pan, trimming side to 1/4 inch below top of rim.
• Chill shell.
• Roll out remaining dough in same manner and remove top sheet of paper, then cut dough into 10 (1-inch-wide) strips.
• Slide strips on wax paper onto a baking sheet and chill until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F
• Spread apricot filling in tart shell and arrange 5 strips across filling (about 1 inch apart), trimming excess dough at ends of strips.
• Arrange remaining 5 strips on top (about 1 inch apart) to form a lattice (do not weave), trimming ends.
• Press ends onto edge of tart shell and bake crostata in middle of oven until golden, 40 to 50 minutes.
• Cool completely in pan on a rack.

APRICOT CROSTATA

Steps:

• Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and mix in flour, salt, and lemon zest until mixture just forms a dough.
• Shape dough into 2 balls, 1 slightly larger than the other. Flatten each ball into a 5-inch disk, then wrap each in wax paper and chill 30 minutes.
• Stir together preserves, lemon juice, and extract in a small bowl.
• Roll out thicker piece of dough (keep remaining piece chilled) between 2 sheets of wax paper into an 11-inch round. Remove top sheet of paper and invert dough into a 9- by 1-inch fluted round tart pan with a removable bottom. Peel off paper and fit dough into pan, trimming side to 1/4 inch below top of rim. Chill shell.
• Roll out remaining dough in same manner and remove top sheet of paper, then cut dough into 10 (1-inch-wide) strips. Slide strips on wax paper onto a baking sheet and chill until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Spread apricot filling in tart shell and arrange 5 strips across filling (about 1 inch apart), trimming excess dough at ends of strips. Arrange remaining 5 strips on top (about 1 inch apart) to form a lattice (do not weave), trimming ends. Press ends onto edge of tart shell and bake crostata in middle of oven until golden, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack.