Authentic Italian Pie – Crostata

Crostata is not just a pie. For Italians, it's a perfect substitute for cake in every sense. Moreover, this pie recipe can be considered the fastest. It's ready in just an hour.

Crostata, frolla and something else

In Italy, a fruit and berry pie made with shortcrust pastry has the mysterious name "Crostata," or in Russian, "crostata." Although it's not exactly shortcrust, a special dough called "frolla" is used for this dessert. It's similar to shortcrust pastry but much denser. The recipe for this dough has been known since the Middle Ages. Today, it's often used for making meat dishes and cookies.

Modern chefs have invented many variations of frola, which differ from each other in their composition and mixing method.

A characteristic feature of crostata is that it's served cold, so it's considered an appetizer and prepared in advance. A crostata doesn't require a strict recipe, allowing for culinary creativity. Nuts, creams, and other toppings can be added to the basic ingredients. The crostata filling can be savory, but the sweet version is the most popular. However, ricotta cheese pie is equally popular.

The main characteristic of an Italian pie is that it's open and covered with a latticework of pastry strips. Photos of these pies grace many a cookbook.

Fast, tasty, charming

The popularity of this Italian culinary masterpiece can probably be explained not only by its indescribable taste, but also by how quickly it's prepared. Most Italian restaurants not only display the recipe on the menu, but also accompany the dish with a mouth-watering photo from the chef. So, take 3 cups of sifted flour, ½ a stick of high-quality butter margarine, the yolks of a couple of eggs, and salt out of the refrigerator. Now turn the heat to 190°C.⁰Place in the oven and start kneading the dough. It's simple.

Mix the ingredients until they form a wet crumble. Divide this mixture into two unequal parts: 2/3 and 1/3. Roll out the larger portion into a round patty, place it in a baking pan, and fold the edges over. While using different pans is acceptable, this will deviate from the original recipe. And if you decide to take a photo of the pie, it will lose its uniqueness. The smaller portion of dough will go on the lattice top of the filling.

Now you can add a filling, such as apricot jam, but crostata with cherries is most delicious. Roll out the remaining dough thinly and cut out strips. Place them in a pan over the pie, forming a lattice pattern. Now bake the pie in the oven for no more than 25 minutes. It is recommended to let it cool before eating.

The most delicious recipe

The recipe for the dough is now clear. You don't necessarily have to order it from an Italian bakery. But the taste of a pie depends less on the dough than on the filling. Perhaps the most important thing is the filling. Cherry crostata is a dessert recipe with an inimitable flavor. However, preparing the filling is a special process. The cherries are washed, pitted, and sprinkled with granulated sugar. The cherries will release juice, but it must be drained. Mix the remaining pulp with a 1:1 mixture of starch, powdered sugar, and a couple of egg yolks. A thicker consistency can be achieved by thinning the mixture with starch and powdered sugar.

You can also mix fruit and berry filling or canned jam with cottage cheese, and the dessert recipe becomes unique again.

It is important to know that…

1. All ingredients for the dough should be from the refrigerator.
2. Before adding the filling, you need to pierce the bottom of the dough with a fork.
3. The baking strips on the grate should not be wider than 10 mm.
4. The sides should be folded into the pie before baking.
5. It's important to remember that cherries pair well with apples and even lingonberries. This combination will only enhance the crostata.
6. Crostata can be served with green tea or Italian cognac.

Video recipe for Crostata