Here's a great recipe for Crostata which I got from the ever so awesome website Cook's Illustrated. Their recipes are pretty much foolproof, and you can follow it to a T or use it as a guide. I am a die hard fan! As it's the season to be merry, fill it with cranberry jam or even mincemeat! The delicious, buttery, fragrant, Pasta Frolla (pastry) is not hard to whip up and will surely impress with it's beautiful lattice top. I am a lattice-phobe and mine came out better than expected. Try this and look for the mincemeat recipe here!
Raspberry Jam Crostata
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated
INGREDIENTS
Pasta Frolla
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
2 - 3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (11 3/4 ounces), plus more for dusting work surface
1/2 cup sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Grated zest of 1 lemon
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup raspberry jam or mincemeat
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 large egg white, beaten with 2 tablespoons water
INSTRUCTIONS
For the Pasta Frolla:
1. Whisk egg, 2 tablespoons water, and vanilla together in small bowl and set aside. Place flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest in food processor and pulse to combine. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture and process to cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal, about seven 1-second pulses. With machine running, add egg mixture and process until liquid ingredients are incorporated. Squeeze handful of dough; if it forms moist ball, no more water is necessary. If mixture is crumbly and dry, add 1 more tablespoon water and process just until incorporated.
2. Remove dough from food processor and transfer it to large bowl. Gently knead until cohesive, about 30 seconds. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Shape one piece into 5-inch disk and other piece into 5-inch square. Wrap both pieces in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
3. To Assemble and Bake: Mix jam and lemon juice in small bowl.
4. Remove both pieces of dough from refrigerator (if refrigerated longer than 1 hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable). Roll round dough disk between 2 large sheets of lightly floured parchment paper to 11-inch circle about 1/4 inch thick. Peel off top sheet of parchment and discard. Using 11-inch pot lid or cardboard round as guide, trim first piece of dough to perfect 11-inch circle with pizza wheel or paring knife. Reserve scraps. Slide dough, still on parchment, onto baking sheet. Spread jam on dough, leaving 1-inch border around edge.
5. Roll square piece of dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper to 11-inch square. Peel off parchment. With pizza wheel or paring knife, straighten edges of dough (reserve scraps), then cut dough into ten 1-inch-wide strips (illustration 3). Brush strips with egg wash and place them over filling, 5 in each direction in diagonal lattice, using spatula to help move and position strips. Combine scraps and knead them together slightly. Roll this dough into 3/4-inch-thick rope about 30 inches long. Brush rim of pastry with egg wash, then press dough rope into rim. Brush border with remaining egg wash. Refrigerate crostata on baking sheet for 1 hour.
6. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Slide crostata (still on parchment paper) onto wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and serve
