Summer Berry Crostata With Lemon Curd

Updated May 3, 2024

Summer Berry Crostata With Lemon Curd
Daniel J. van Ackere for The New York Times
Total Time
About 1 hour
Rating
4(68)
Comments
Read comments

If the classic fruit tart is a well-heeled matron, a crostata is a lusty peasant girl. Pressed into a fluted mold for form and discipline? Not likely. Roll out the dough, fill it up, crimp it over and slide it into a blazing oven. A crostata is light and unencumbered, the perfect showcase for late summer fruit.

Featured in: Late-Summer Sweetness, Arising

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
    Subscribe
  • Print Options


Advertisement


Ingredients

Yield:6 tarts

    For the Crust

    • 1cup all-purpose flour, more for dusting
    • ½cup white pastry flour
    • 4teaspoons sugar
    • ½teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 6tablespoons high-fat (European style) butter, chilled and cut into 6 pieces

    For the Filling

    • 1large egg
    • 2egg yolks
    • ½cup sugar
    • cup fresh lemon juice
    • Finely grated zest of 1 medium lemon
    • 1tablespoon cold butter, in 2 pieces
    • Pinch salt
    • 3tablespoons heavy cream
    • 3pints blueberries, rinsed
    • 3tablespoons cornstarch
    • 6tablespoons sugar
    • ¼cup lemon juice
    • Pinch salt
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

520 calories; 19 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 85 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 48 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 264 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by
Cooking Newsletter illustration

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place oven rack in lowest position, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Place large pizza stone on rack, and heat 1 hour while preparing other ingredients. Cut 6 sheets of aluminum foil, each one 8 inches square, and set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Make the crust: Combine flours, sugar and salt in food processor, and pulse to combine. Remove lid, scatter butter over surface of flour and pulse until butter pieces are no longer visible, 10 pulses of 10 seconds or so each. Turn mixture into mixing bowl, and sprinkle with 4 tablespoons ice water. Toss lightly with fingertips. Gather dough together, and squeeze a small portion with fingers. If dough feels dry, add another tablespoon water, and toss to combine. Turn dough onto work surface, press together firmly and pat into round disk. Cut into 6 wedges. Roll each wedge into a ball, flatten slightly and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, and up to 24 hours.

  3. Step 3

    Make the curd: Place small, conical stainless-steel strainer over 2-cup glass measuring cup, and set aside. In small, heavy nonreactive saucepan, whisk egg, yolks and sugar together. Add lemon juice, and whisk to combine. Add zest, butter and salt. Place pan over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until mixture is shiny, opaque and thick enough to coat back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Do not boil. Remove from heat, and stir in cream. Strain immediately into glass measuring cup, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

  4. Step 4

    Make the blueberry filling: Place half the blueberries in medium saucepan. Add cornstarch and sugar, and stir well. Add lemon juice and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until blueberries give up juices, thicken and simmer a bit. Compote will be very thick. Remove from heat, and stir in remaining blueberries. Cool.

  5. Step 5

    Assemble the crostata: Working 1 piece of dough at a time, flour top and bottom lightly, and roll into thin 8-inch round. Transfer round to a square of foil. Spoon 1½ to 2 tablespoons of desired filling in center, leaving 2-inch periphery free. Mound fruit in a circle. (Be sure to use all the filling in the 6 crostatas.) Fold dough over to support filling. Place crostata on sheet pan in refrigerator, and continue forming tarts with remaining dough pieces and fruit filling. Refrigerate all 6 crostatas at least 20 minutes.

  6. Step 6

    Slide 2 or 3 crostatas onto baking stone. Bake until dough is dark golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove, and cool 10 minutes on rack. Repeat with remaining crostatas. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, or add a dollop of whipped cream or a few tablespoons of chilled heavy cream. Serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5
68 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

I checked the original article, and it says "Spoon 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons curd in center, leaving 2 inch periphery free."

"Spoon 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of desired filling in center, leaving 2-inch periphery free. Mound fruit in a circle." Does this mean that you put the lemon curd in the center and then put the compote on top? Or do you combine the curd and the compote and spoon it onto the pastry at once?

I made this yesterday for pi day, and it was wonderful. However, after about 15 minutes, smoke began to pour out of the oven, setting off the smoke alarm. (At, least we know that works.) The pizza stone is a mess. Next time, I would make a rustic pie and bake it on a rimmed baking sheet.

Made with lemon curd and raspberries. Good, but not the best crostata I've made. I had pastry flour of uncertain provenance in my refrigerator. Perhaps it wasn't the right kind, but the pastry was a bit dry. Also, the pastry recipe did not make as many tarts as the recipe said: I got 4 tarts instead of six.

Blueberrys isn’t the only kind of berry that you can use. Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, whatever kind of berry that you like does’t matter.

The directions regarding the filling are very confusing! When she states "add desired filling" it implies that you chose the curd or the blueberry filling. Or it could mean add the curd then the blueberry filling. The picture only shows the blueberry filling. It would be easy for the writer to sort this out.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.