Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Strawberry Summer Dessert


As I flipped through the pages of Bon Appetit's May issue, I couldn't help but be taken by their photograph of this amazingly scrumptious looking dessert. The "Rhubarb and Raspberry Crostata" recipe offered everything I look for in a summer dessert- a flaky, golden crust filled with mouth watering tart raspberies. As it turned out, I had just accidentaly double-ordered strawberries from Fresh Direct (I also double-ordered whole milk, leaving me with 4 cartons instead of 2- why am I always doing this??) So, I knew that I had to do something with the strawberries before they went bad. I had all the ingredients needed for the dough in my pantry (white flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, kosher salt, butter, egg, and milk), so I decided to nix the rhubabrb because I didn't have any or want to go out and get some, and just replace the raspberries with lots and lots of strawberries. And that's pretty much how I ended up with what my husband called "the best dessert you've ever made". The dough in this dessert is really the show-stopper. The addition of 1/2 a cup of whole wheat flour adds a rustic, nutty effect, which really makes a difference. Before baking, the dough is sprinkled with raw sugar (an ingredient I did not have in my pantry, but I sent my husband to the coffeeshop next door to grab a handful of "Sugar in the Raw" packets- really a sinch).
For the original recipe, go to  http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/05/rhubarb-and-raspberry-crostata


Here's my adaptation of the recipe:
Strawberry Crostata
8-10 servings


Crust
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg
1 tablespoon whole milk


Filling
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 pints fresh strawberries, stemmed and halved
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice


1 egg, beaten
2 packets "sugar in the raw"

  • Combine both flours, sugar, and salt in a processor; blend for 5 seconds. Add butter; pulse until butter is reduced to pea-size pieces. Whisk egg and milk in a small bowl to blend; add to processor and pulse until moist clumps form. Gather dough into a ball; flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap; chill at least 1 1/2hours. Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl, set aside.
In a heavy saucepan, combine the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir together and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, covered for 5 minutes. Uncover, stir in the cornstarch mixture, and cook until the strawberries soften a bit, and juices are released to form a thick sauce surrounding the strawberries, about 5 minutes. Cool. 
Preheat oven to 400°. Roll out dough on floured parchment paper to 12" round; brush with beaten egg. Mound filling in center of crust; gently spread out, leaving 1 1/2" border. Gently fold edges of dough over filling, pleating as needed. Brush border with egg; sprinkle with raw sugar. Slide parchment with crostata onto a large rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 45 minutes. Let crostata cool on baking sheet on a rack. Transfer crostata to a platter, cut into wedges, and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.



8 comments:

  1. I speak from experience, this is the best one you have ever made! Make it again please!

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  2. I agree this was amazing, but any ideas on how to make this dairy free?

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  3. I've noticed that strawberries are fairly inexpensive and very tasty now! Perfect timing!

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  4. Your dessert looks better then the one in the magazine. I cannot wait to try it.
    Am I able to substitute the butter with margarine and soy for whole milk?

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  5. Gabrielle MazaudMay 4, 2011 at 4:10 AM

    I speak with experience with Jon as he cut me a piece on Saturday. I couldn't resist and had to take another as it was so good and yet it looked like a work of art too!

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  6. For those of you who want to make it dairy-free..you can do the usual: Replace the butter with cubed unsalted margarine that has been frozen (so that the texture is similar to that of butter) and soy milk in place of regular milk.

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  7. I made someone very happy today!!!!! Amazing recipe as always :)

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  8. Kim, any chance this can be made ahead and frozen (I'm assuming not, but I may as well ask)? Thanks

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