CookEat Recipe
Crostata with Fruit Preserve
A sweet shortcrust tart with fruit preserve, a crossed pastry lattice and a neatly sealed rim, with complete custard and alternative pastry options.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 260 g plain flour: 250 g for pastry and up to 10 g for rolling; 130 g butter: 125 g for pastry and 5 g for the tin; 110 g icing sugar for pastry; 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk, beaten together; reserve about 2 teaspoons for glazing; Finely grated zest of ½ lemon; 300 g prepared fruit preserve, such as apricot jam; A little water for attaching the pastry rim and loosening stiff preserve if needed.
Step 2
Beat the whole egg and yolk together and reserve about 2 teaspoons of this same mixture for the glaze. Mix the 250 g pastry flour, icing sugar and lemon zest. Cut in the softened 125 g pastry butter with a blunt knife, then add the remaining beaten egg. Bring together gently by hand, handling as little as possible. If dry crumbs persist, a teaspoon or two of white wine or Marsala may help them join. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Step 3
Grease a shallow tart tin about 24 cm across with the 5 g tin butter. If the preserve is too stiff to spread, warm it gently with a tablespoon or two of water, then let cool. It should remain thick enough to hold its shape, with no loose liquid. Heat the oven to 175°C.
Step 4
Roll about half the pastry to a round about 3–4 mm thick on the lightly floured surface and fit it into the prepared tin. Return trimmings to the remaining pastry. Spread the preserve evenly over the base, leaving a narrow border clear.
Step 5
Roll the remaining pastry, lightly mark with a ridged rolling pin or the tines of a fork, and cut strips about 1–1½ cm wide. Lay evenly spaced strips over the filling in two crossing directions to make a diamond lattice. Form a rope or band from the remaining pastry and attach it around the edge with a little water, covering the strip ends. Brush the lattice and rim with the reserved beaten egg.
Step 6
Bake for about 30–40 minutes until the pastry is golden and fully cooked underneath. Cool in the tin before unmoulding. Serve plain, without a finishing icing-sugar dust. For the optional one- or two-day rest mentioned by Artusi, refrigerate within 2 hours and keep covered at 4°C or below; let portions lose their chill briefly before serving. Use within 2–3 days of baking.
Step 7
For the custard filling, replace all 300 g fruit preserve with a custard made from 250 ml milk, 60 g caster sugar, 30 g wheat starch, two egg yolks and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk the yolks, sugar and starch, then add milk gradually. Cook while stirring until thick and gently bubbling, continue for about 1 minute and reach at least 74°C. Add vanilla, cool promptly in a shallow dish and refrigerate until assembling. Spread the cold custard on the same pastry base, add the same lattice and rim, glaze and bake at 175°C for about 30–40 minutes until pastry and filling are set. Refrigerate the finished tart within 2 hours and use within 2–3 days.
Step 8
For a tart with both fillings, use 150 g fruit preserve on one half. Make half the custard quantity: 125 ml milk, 30 g caster sugar, 15 g wheat starch, one yolk and ¼ teaspoon vanilla. Cook and cool exactly as above, then spread on the other half without mixing the two fillings. Apply the same pastry lattice, rim and glaze; bake and refrigerate as above.
Step 9
For pastry A, replace the main pastry quantities with 250 g flour, 110 g icing sugar, 90 g softened butter, 35 g rendered lard, one whole egg and one yolk. This tart-specific egg quantity is Artusi’s instruction, rather than mechanically halving the yolk in the basic pastry recipe. Beat the egg and yolk together and reserve about 2 teaspoons for glazing. Add the same lemon zest, mix with a knife and minimal handling, chill for 30 minutes and form the same tart. Retain the extra rolling flour and tin butter. The filling and baking method are unchanged.
Step 10
For the richer pastry C recommended by Artusi, use 270 g flour, 115 g icing sugar, 90 g softened butter, 45 g rendered lard, four egg yolks and finely grated zest of half an orange. Cut together with a knife, bring together with minimal handling and chill for 30 minutes. Use the same tin, filling, lattice and rim; retain the extra rolling flour and tin butter. Brush with a little separate beaten yolk, then bake at 175°C for about 30–40 minutes until fully cooked. The four measured yolks belong to this pastry; the separate glaze is additional.
Step 11
Instead of lemon zest in pastry A or B, use about 1 teaspoon culinary orange-blossom water. Keep all other quantities and steps unchanged. Choose one pastry formula and one filling option; do not combine their ingredient lists.
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