Crostatas are like free-form pies, not baked in a pan, but rather on a baking sheet, with the dough folded up around the edges of the filling. They are rustic looking, absolutely beautiful, with the filling bubbling up from within the crust. You can substitute many different kinds of fruit for the peaches and blueberry, from plums to mixed berries. This recipe actually falls back on a refrigerated pie crust, which I happened to have on hand, and which made this a 10 minute recipe to get into the oven. Not bad for a quintessential summer dessert.
Makes 1 crostata, serves 6
1 refrigerated rolled pastry crust
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
Pinch Kosher salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 cups blueberries
1 peach, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg, beaten
Ice cream or sweetened whipped cream to serve (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Add the blueberries and peaches, and toss to combine. Sprinkle over the lemon juice, and toss again.
3. Roll the pastry crust onto a greased cookie sheet. Heap the fruit mixture into the middle, leaving about an inch of dough as a border, then fold up the dough around the edges up over the fruit (the middle will have a lot of fruit showing). Dot the fruit with the butter, and brush the dough around the edges with the beaten egg. Sprinkle the egg-brushed dough with a bit of granulated sugar.
4. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the fruit is bubbly, and the crust is firm and browned. Cool slightly or completely on the pan.