Crostata is one of those classic desserts that many Italians grow up with. It is a delicious, easy and fast dessert that allows Tuscan cooks to praise their homemade marmellate (jams).
The following recipe is from my grandmother’s diary, a true family favorite. Start making pasta frolla, the very versatile Italian sweet dough, used primarily to make pies, cookies, and crostate.
Ingredients
- 280gr all-purpose flour.
- 150gr granulated sugar
- 100gr butter
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 tsp salt 1
- tsp vanilla or almond extract
- The grated zest of one lemon
- 2 tsp baking powder.
Bring butter to room temperature. Mix it with sugar. Add all the other ingredients and form the dough. Wrap it in plastic paper and let it chill for an hour or more.
Lightly butter the bottom of a pie pan. Press ¾ of the dough onto it. Fill the top with your favorite jam. With the remaining dough make the typical criss-cross grid to complete the look of the cake.
Bake the crostata until it takes a light golden brown color (normally in 25 minutes). If it starts to darken means that it is burning, and this can happen quite suddenly, so keep an eye on your oven.
The best wine to pair with crostata is, of course, Tuscan Vinsanto.
