The Best Apricot Crostata
This Italian Crostata is simply the best. Buttery, golden-brown pie crust filled with rich, sweet apricot marmalade and then decorated with the rest of the pie dough. Beautiful rustic pastry, that's wonderful served for breakfast or in the afternoon with a cup of coffee or tea. We love it because:
- a beautiful dessert that's perfect for birthdays, thanksgiving or other celebrations
- has a crumbly, buttery crust
- the fruity, sweet filling
- easy to make
- crowd-please
WHAT IS A CROSTATA (ORIGIN)
Crostata is an Italian baked pie. There are so many different Crostata recipes, but they all have a few things in common. The crust is crusty and slightly crumbly and they are filled with jam, marmalade (marmellata) or ricotta. What we love most about this pie is actually the contrast between a rich layer of juicy, sweet, creamy marmalade and then a crumbly crust texture. It's so good. You can use other sweet fillings as well, for example, blackberry marmalade, raspberry marmalade, plum marmalade and others too.
PREPARATION - How to make Crostata
Making Crostata at home is easy. It goes like this:
- Combine the ingredients for a delicious Crostata dough (you can use a blender or food processor as well)
- Divide the dough in half. Roll it out and place somewhere cold for at least 30 minutes
- Transfer half of the dough to a prepared tart tin
- Add the fruit filling and create a beautiful rustic pattern on top
- Bake
- Serve for breakfast or as an afternoon dessert with coffee or a cup of tea
INGREDIENTS
There aren't many ingredients in this recipe but they all play an important role and it's super important to use high-quality ingredients for this one.
Flour - All-purpose flour, plain flour or flour type 00 are all great for this recipe.
Butter - Always use cold butter, we would recommend having the butter in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before using it for the Crostata dough. Cut on smaller cubes, because that way it will be easier to incorporate it in the dough.
Baking powder - Makes the baked pastry shell slightly softer (in comparison with other pie crusts). You can also use baking soda.
Eggs - Use two whole eggs and four egg yolks. Eggs bring the dough together.
Apricot Marmalade - Always use marmalades with a high fruit percentage. The marmalade (or jam) has to be smooth and delicious. You could also use homemade apricot jam with vanilla from the blog, but the process will be slightly different. First, you would need to add the apricot jam to a saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, then blend using an immersion blender and let the jam cook for about 5 minutes or until it is nice and thick, like marmalade. Stir regularly to prevent burning. Remove from the heat and let it cool completely, then use it in your crostata.
Store, Freeze, and Make-ahead
This Apricot Tart stores really well. Store any leftover slices in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 - 4 days. You can also freeze Crostata slices. Place them on a large tray or baking sheet. Place in the freezer. Once they are completely frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag and place back in the freezer. Keep them frozen for up to 2 months. Defrost by placing the slices on room temperature until they are ready to serve. If you are in a hurry, you can place the slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the oven for about 5 - 10 minutes, then serve.
The dough can be made up to 2 months ahead (freeze in a tart tin), you can also make the marmalade ahead as well, or you can prepare the whole Apricot Crostata one day ahead, pop in the fridge and then bake the next day.
Make these Apricot desserts as well
- Brittle Linzer Cookies with Marmalade
- Apricot swirl buns with Candied Fruits
- Apricot Jam with Vanilla
- No-churn Vanilla and Apricot Ice Cream
- Apricot Tart with Hazelnuts and Mint
METHOD
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dough for the crust
Add all-purpose flour to a large bowl. Add cold butter cubes. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour mixture until there are no lumps or chunks of butter left. You can also use a blender or food processor to make the dough. Add the lemon zest, pinch of salt and baking powder. Stir to combine using a spatula. In a separate bowl beat together eggs, egg yolks, and sugar to get a fluffy, pale mixture. Mix for about 2 - 3 minutes. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and knead until it all comes together, for about 30 seconds. Don't overwork it. It should remain crumbly. Divide the dough in half.
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roll out the dough
Dust your working surface with flour. Place a sheet on parchment paper over the dusted surface. Place one half of the dough in the center of the parchment paper and cover with another sheet of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to approximately 1/2 cm (1/4-inch) thickness. Repeat the process with the remaining half of the dough. Place each dough on a separate tray or baking sheet (lined with parchment paper) and place in the fridge for 1 hour or in a freezer for 30 minutes.
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roll out the dough again
Remove the dough from the fridge (or freezer) and roll it onto 2 - 3 mm (1/10) inch thickness. Transfer half of the dough to a tart tin (28 cm / 11 inch). Prick the dough with a fork and trim the dish of any extra dough or run a rolling pin over the top to remove excess dough.
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add the marmalade and bake
Fill the pastry shell with high-quality apricot marmalade. Cut 1 or 1.5 cm (1/2 inch) stripes from the rest of the dough and create a desirable lattice finish on top of the marmalade. Place in the preheated oven. Bake for about 10 - 15 minutes at 180 °C / 355 °F, then lower the heat and bake for another 30 minutes at 175 °C / 345 °F.
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serve
Let the baked apricot crostata cool then transfer to a nice serving plate. Optionally sprinkle with some icing sugar and serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 - 4 days.
