I don't know when I'll make it back to Italy, but I feel lucky to have visited twice and have some very good memories. Dessert memories included! There are so many fabulous Italian desserts, including a few that I'd never heard of until visiting Rome and Florence. One dessert I knew very little about but have learned to love is a fruit crostata, an Italian tart. This one has a fairly easy dough.
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Crostata Dough
Crostate (plural ends with "e") are special in that they are made with a particular dough called pasta frolla, a "sweet short pastry". To me, it seems somewhere between a cookie and an American style pastry pie crust. Ratios for pasta frolla are typically 3 parts flour, 2 parts butter and 1 part sugar which matches this recipe, but bakers often improvise so there's no one standard crostata dough recipe. I've tried a few and like this one because it's relatively easy to handle.
Fruit Fillings
While visiting Florence I saw some cream filled crostatas which I'd love to try, but I have only made them with fruit. The first fruit crostata was with cherries, but now I use different combinations of frozen fruit. It's less expensive and I can make different flavors all year round. The crostata below was made with strawberries, mangoes and some frozen raspberries. I wasn't sure how the strawberries and mangos would be, but a little lime zest and juice tied everything together and the filling was so good! The frozen fruit is interchangeable. Try cherries, mixed berries, perhaps peaches? Or try the strawberry, mango raspberry combo.

Any Fruit Crostata Filling
So here's the new recipe based on what I've learned about crostata making. My dough is adapted (though slightly different) from The Italian Baker, and the filling is one I put together with fruit from the freezer. For practicing the crust I used canned cherry pie filling, was actually pretty good. And you can always doctor it up with flavorings. But the frozen fruit filling is my favorite and doesn't take long to make at all.

Shaping Crostata Crust
The dough is easier to work with than some, but it still requires refrigeration or the strips will break. You can cut them thick and make a braid as in the photo or you can make the more traditional Italian trellis. Just clear out some room in the refrigerator and have ready a small cutting board or something flat you can take in and out of the cold. This visual is just something I made while putting together my last crust. You can arrange the top any way you want.

Recipe

Frozen Fruit Crostada
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (200 grams)
- ½ cup sugar (100 grams)
- 2 tablespoons lightly beaten egg from one large egg lightly beaten
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon salt plus a pinch
- 1 ½ teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose or pastry flour** (290 to 300 grams) use the weight
Filling
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (28 grams)
- 16 oz frozen strawberries (456 grams)
- 6-8 oz frozen mango chunks (170 to 228 grams)
- ½ cup frozen berries (optional) (56 grams)
- ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar (160 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoons lime or lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch (24 grams)
Instructions
- Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until creamy, then beat in 2 generous tablespoons of egg (save the rest for the top), the yolk, lemon zest, vanilla and salt, scraping the side of the bowl until everything is blended.
- Add flour and mix on low to form a dough. You might want to mix and finish it off with your hands because this is a thick dough. Work it gently until it comes together. Pastry mat is helpful.
- Divide the dough so that you have one section that is 8 oz and another that is 1 about a pound. The 8 oz will be for the trellis and the pound will be for the base and sides. Shape each section into disk and wrap tightly in plastic. Chill for 30 minutes or up to 1 day.
- When ready to use, take out the dough. and let it stand at room temperature. Press and roll the larger piece into a 10-inch round(ish) piece. Drape it over a greased and lightly floured 9-inch removable bottom tart pan and press down to fit. Trim the overhang. Take the trimmings and roll into half inch thick ropes (they break, so you can't do one long one), then press your little ropes around the edge where the pastry meets the side of the pan to reinforce the side crusts. Trim top with scissors. Keep chilled until ready to use.
- Roll the second section out into a large square and score into about 16 ½ inch wide strips. Do not try to separate them yet. Put them on a tray or something flat and return to the refrigerator to keep them cold and easy to work with.
Filling
- Heat butter in a 12-inch saute pan. Add the frozen fruit and sugar and stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves and the fruit thaws. Stir in the lime zest and lime juice. Meanwhile, mix the cold water and cornstarch in a little cup. Add to the fruit and stir until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and let it cool. You can transfer it to a large pan if you want to speed things up, but I usually just let it cool in the saute pan and wait it out.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.
Assembling
- Grease a 9-inch removable bottom tart pan with butter and follow directions for assembling with the dough.
- Spread filling in your prepared dough lined pan and arrange the strips in a lattice shape by laying the pieces diagonally. Trim edges of all strips flush with edge of pan. Brush lattice top with reserved 2 tablespoons of beaten egg and sprinkle crostata with coarse sugar if you happen to have some. You can also brush on a little cream if you'd like, but it's optional.
- Bake crostata in pan on rimmed baking sheet until pastry is golden and filling is bubbling, about 1 hour. This seems like a long time, but is correct. Bake uncovered for the first 30 minutes, then cover loosely with a sheet of foil and bake for another 25 minutes. The edges brown quickly, so keep an eye on them and be sure to shield.
Anna says
Thank you! I saw my recipe from 2011 and felt like I needed to practice.
Sue K says
Your crostata looks so good!