Summer Fruit Crostata | Simple By Cindy

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Ahh! Summer is finally here and so are delicious plums, peaches, nectarines, and all the yummy summer fruits. One of our favorite ways to enjoy non-citrus fruits is to eat them wrapped in a buttery envelope of warm dough. As you may have noticed, there are a number of names for a combination of fruit and baked pastry. Cobblers, crumbles, and crostatas are all desserts baked with a crust or pastry and fruit. I couldn’t help thinking about what the difference is between these summer treats. Is there really a distinction between the three?

There is, but it’s subtle. A cobbler is a baked fruit mixture with a biscuit-like top crust. A crumble is a baked fruit mixture with toasted cornmeal or oats-based topping. A crostata is an open-faced fruit tart where the fruit (plus a little sugar) is spooned into a buttery pastry dough. The edges of the dough are folded in about an inch or two to create a crust, and are usually finished with an egg wash and some coarse sugar. Crostatas are made free form and cooked on a flat sheet, so no two will look the same. This rustic look makes them so effortless and charming.

But wait! There’s more! There are galettes and tarts, which are most similar to a crostata. The only difference between the galette and the crostata is the name. Crostata is Italian and galette is French. The tart is a little different. The tart is baked in a pan that is known as, well, a tart pan. It can vary in size and shape, and the bottom is removable for a cleaner presentation. Tart crusts are more shortbread-like, as opposed to the flakey pastry dough used for crostatas and galettes. Whichever you decide to make, your tummy is not going to know the difference, and you will love them all.

This crostata is perfection. The peach, plum, and blueberries combine to make a delicious filling for this treat. The hint of orange blends beautifully with them. The fruits are surrounded with a yummy, buttery pastry dough that gives dessert wonderful texture and flavor. This is a “keeper”. I will definitely be making it again this summer.

This recipe is courtesy of Ina Garten and will serve 6 people who will be deliriously happy when eating it.

Ingredients for Summer Fruit Crostata:

For the pastry:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated or superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
½-pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) ice water

For the filling:

1 pound firm ripe peaches, peeled
½-pound firm ripe black plums, unpeeled
1/2 pint fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Make the Pastry:

Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.

Pulse a few times to combine.

Add the butter and toss quickly (and carefully!) with your fingers to coat each cube of butter with the flour.

Pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas.

With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube.

Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop just before the dough comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board, roll it into a ball.

If you only need 1 disk of dough, the other can be frozen.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface.

Transfer it to the baking sheet.

Make the filling:

Cut the peaches and plums in wedges and place them in a bowl with the blueberries.

Toss them with 1 tablespoon of the flour, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the orange zest, and the orange juice.

Place the mixed fruit on the dough circle, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.

Combine the 1/4 cup flour, the 1/4 cup sugar, and the salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.

Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly.

Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts to hold together.

Sprinkle evenly over the fruit.

Gently fold the border of the pastry over the fruit, pleating it to make an edge.

Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender.

Let the crostata cool for 5 minutes, then use 2 large spatulas to transfer it to a wire rack.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

It’s that simple!