Cherry Almond Crostata
Summer has arrived, which means summer fruit is plentiful. We love making rustic crostatas, swapping out the fruit for whatever is fresh and in season. The Cherry Almond Crostata recipe in this post uses Ina Garten’s Summer Fruit Crostata crust and is adapted from her recipe. The recipe makes two crusts, so plan to double the filling. You can also try another fruit combination (peach-blueberry anyone?) or freeze the second crust for another day. A crostata is similar to a pie, but it is a bit more rustic as it is cooked on a sheet pan. The buttery crust is sweeter than a pie crust, which adds to the deliciousness. This crostata also has an amazing crumble topping.
Fresh cherries are the star of this crostata. This is a crowd pleasing favorite, especially when cherries are in season. Almond extract and orange zest complement the cherries nicely. My other favorite fruit for a crostata is peaches (or nectarines) when they are in season. Add blueberries or raspberries to the peaches, and you are in for a treat. To try this version, simply swap out the cherries for a mix of peaches and blueberries and skip the almond extract, replacing it with orange juice.
Serve the Cherry Almond Crostata with whipped cream or ice cream. If you are feeling especially decadent, you can try the optional mascarpone cheese whipped topping. It complements the cherries and almond perfectly.
I often serve crostatas at cookouts. Small slices can be picked up and eaten like a pizza. If the filling is a bit too heavy and/or the crust rolled a bit too thin, don’t fear – just serve on plates with a fork as you would a normal pie. Happy Food!
Cherry Almond Crostata
Ingredients
Pastry (makes 2 crostatas)
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated or superfine sugar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ pound cold unsalted butter, diced (½ pound is 2 sticks)
- 6 tbsp ice water (3 ounces)
Filling (1 crostata)
- 1 pound cherries, pitted (approximately 3 cups)
- 1 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp grated orange zest
- 2 tsp orange juice
- 1 tsp almond extract
Crumble Topping
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, diced (½ stick)
Mascarpone Whipped Topping (Optional)
- ⅔ cup mascarpone cheese
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 tbsp honey
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- 1 tsp powdered sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the pastry
- Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and use a small spoon to toss the butter with the flour. The goal is coat each cube of butter with the flour. Pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. Turn the food processor on and add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Stop the machine just as the dough comes together.
- Turn the dough out onto floured board and roll it with your hands into a ball. Cut the dough in half and form into 2 flat disks. Wrap the disks in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. If you only need 1 disk of dough The other disk of dough can be frozen.
Prepare the filling
- Pit the cherries. This is a messy job, so do it outside if possible! Toss them with 1 tablespoon of the flour, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the orange zest, the orange juice, and the almond extract.
Build the crostata
- Roll out the chilled dough into an 11 inch circle. Place the dough on parchment paper on a cookie sheet/sheet pan.
- Place the mixed fruit on the dough circle, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.
Make the crumble topping
- 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
- Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender. Let the crostata cool for at least 5-10 minutes to set. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Mascarpone Cream Topping (Optional)
- Whip ⅔ cup mascarpone, ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream, 3 tbsp honey, and 1/4 tsp almond extract. Sometimes I also add a teaspoon of powdered sugar.Do not over whip! It will turn to butter. Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
- This topping is optional. Crostata is equally delicious served with whipped cream or ice cream!