This country jam tart, done well, is hard to pass up after dinner or as an afternoon snack. It’s wholesome and simple.
Start by adding the powdered sugar and cold butter to the bowl with the flour.
After that add in four egg yolks and begin mixing everything together with by hand.
It’s important to use cold butter and not knead-work it too much, it should be cool and crumbly at first, then start to become smooth.
When it starts to come together and you don’t see any chunks of butter stop and add-in a little lemon zest by grating the lemon peel.
Then fold it over briefly mixing in the lemon zest and form a ball.
Wrap the ball in saran wrap and put in the refrigerator for at least two hours better if its overnight.
If it has been in the fridge overnight let it sit for 10 minutes to take the chill off.
Now prepare the crust by rolling out a little more then half the dough, with the rolling pin.
The final thickness should be about one quarter of an inch, and have a diameter of 12 to 14 inches, measure it with your pie tin by pressing it lightly into the dough.
Next cut around the mark made from the pie tin and leave about an inch of extra dough all the way around.
After that cut about six ‘V’ shapes into the edge of the dough spacing them out around the entire circle.
Now carefully pick up the dough and place it into the pie tin, the ‘V’ shapes cut earlier help it sit flat in the bottom.
Then poke some holes in the bottom of the dough with a fork
Next add in a thin layer of Jam spreading it around.
Put that aside, and start to prepare the dough strips by first rolling out the other ball of dough, thin like the first one.
Next with a ravioli cutter, cut long strips about half an inch wide.
After that braid the strips carefully across the top of the crostata. Lay them one direction… then pick up every other strip, and braid new ones in the other direction.
When that’s done with a fork push down the side of the dough attaching it to the strips all the way around the pie tin.
Then dip the fork in flour and go around again pushing it gently into the edge to make texture on the Crostata’s edge. at this point if you want to add a glaze lightly brush on some egg yolk mixed with water
Now it’s ready to bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned.
When it’s done take it out and let it cool for a couple hours before serving.
and sharing how we make it from our kitchen in florence, italy. we enjoy cooking and learning new recipes and hope you will too. buon appetito, and thanks for stopping by. more
long hot summer, ma che caldo fa! continue reading
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