Crostata Recipe

[hathor]

I've left all my Italian cook books in Italy....which is killing me, but I just can't carry the full library around with me....although my husband is completely convinced that I DID carry everything.

I digress.

I'm looking for a real, true, sort of like cookie crumb crostada recipe. The kind that is 3 or 4mm thick, dry, crumbly.

Grazie mille!

[baroness]

Is this helpful?? Italian Crumb Cookie

[hathor]

Maybe if I could spell crostada things would be better!!

Thanks Baroness, but that's not it. It's a typical central Italian crust that gets a jam type filling.

[ludja]

Here's a basic recipe for pasta frolla from Nick Malgieri:

2 1/3 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

pinch salt

8 Tbs (1/4 lb) unsalted butter, cold

2 large eggs

Combine dry ingredients and then add in cold butter cut into small pieces. Work together quickly using your fingertips so that the dough stays dry but the butter is incorporated. Beat eggs lightly in a small bowl and then add to dough. Mix gently w/a fork until the dough begins to come together. Turn out of bowl and finish squeezing dough together with lightly floured fingers. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill.

What do you plan to fill your tart with?

[Swisskaese]

You should also add the zest of one lemon to the crostata dough.

Edited December 14, 2007 by Swisskaese (log)

[hathor]

Thanks...I'm going to give this a try in the next few days...I'll let you know how it comes out.

Grazie mille!

[Chris Amirault]

The recipe for crostata dough I've always used comes from Cucina Simpatica by Joanne Kileen and George Germon. chef/owners of Al Forno here in Providence. It's pretty straightforward:

1/2 lb butter, very cold and cut into small bits

2 c flour

1/4 c superfine sugar

1/2 t kosher salt

1/4 c ice water

Pulse the dry ingredients in a food processor a few times. Toss the dry ingredients with the butter to coat, then put the mixture back into the processor and pulse to small peas. Turn on the processor, dump in the ice water, and count to ten; don't let it ball into a solid mass. Dump it out onto some foil, shape it into a thick disk, and refrigerate until you're ready to roll it out and use (at least an hour).

Edited to fix spelling -- ca

Edited December 16, 2007 by chrisamirault (log)

[divina]

Ciao bella

Mine is a 3-2 1

300 grams of Farina 00

200 butter, unsalted

100 sugar

1 egg

I mix the flour, butter and sugar first.. until crumb like , then bind with the egg.

I often add lemon zest, sometimes baking powder.. and for a softer crust, some milk.

Auguri!

[salutistagolosa]

I've left all my Italian cook books in Italy....which is killing me, but I just can't carry the full library around with me....although my husband is completely convinced that I DID carry everything.

I digress.

I'm looking for a real, true, sort of like cookie crumb crostada recipe. The kind that is 3 or 4mm thick, dry, crumbly.

Grazie mille!

←

sorry hathor, what do you need it for, cookies or do you want to make a crostata with it?

[salutistagolosa]

I've left all my Italian cook books in Italy....which is killing me, but I just can't carry the full library around with me....although my husband is completely convinced that I DID carry everything.

I digress.

I'm looking for a real, true, sort of like cookie crumb crostada recipe. The kind that is 3 or 4mm thick, dry, crumbly.

Grazie mille!

←

sorry hathor, what do you need it for, cookies or do you want to make a crostata with it?

[hathor]

I've left all my Italian cook books in Italy....which is killing me, but I just can't carry the full library around with me....although my husband is completely convinced that I DID carry everything.

I digress.

I'm looking for a real, true, sort of like cookie crumb crostada recipe. The kind that is 3 or 4mm thick, dry, crumbly.

Grazie mille!

←

sorry hathor, what do you need it for, cookies or do you want to make a crostata with it?

←

Crostata. I've got some lovely quince jam that is just crying to be put into a crostata.

Thank you everyone for helping....I'll post a photo as soon as I get it made.

Now, does anyone know how to make 'torcilo'?? I've never seen the word written, so I'm not sure how it is spelled, and spelling is a very loose concept with local recipes, but it's that yellow, dry, sponge cake that you dip in vin santo.

[salutistagolosa]

sorry hathor, what do you need it for, cookies or do you want to make a crostata with it?

←

Crostata. I've got some lovely quince jam that is just crying to be put into a crostata.

oh well, I guess you are done by know, oatherwise I would have suggested

200 g flour

100 g butter

30 g sugar

one egg

I hope I am not breaking any rules, but if you want to check out a rather remarkable technique to work the dough so that it develops as little gluten as possible, I suggest you have a look at this link:

Maurizio Santin

It is in italian, but what matters are the pictures and above all the videos. The dough is one of Maurizio Santin's recipes for pasta frolla, which starts with butter at room temperature.

[hathor]

Nice little video....grazie.

I haven't made it, it's on the schedule for later this week.