Sour Cherry Crostata
The best cherries for baking are the sour or tart varieties like Montmorency or Morello. Unfortunately, they don't ship well, so you won't find them fresh at most big supermarkets. In my area, I've only ever found them once at a specialty European-style market which has since sadly closed. So when a friend texted to say he had a tree full of them and would I like to come over and pick some, I enthusiastically said yes!
Prepare Flour/Almond Mixture:
In a small mixing bowl, combine:
Place the flour/almond meal mixture in center of rolled out dough. Spread evenly leaving a 2" border around the perimeter.
Prepare Sour Cherry Filling:
Spoon the cherry filling on top of the rolled out crust, making sure it stays on the flour/almond mixture. Leave the 2" border bare.
Lift up one corner of the parchment paper and gently fold pastry over the cherries, gently peeling back the parchment paper. Turn the crostata and continue lifting and folding pastry over the filling, overlapping dough as you go around the crostata.
Sprinkle top of pastry, as well as the exposed cherry filling with:
1 tablespoon sanding sugar
Brush off any sanding sugar that falls onto parchment paper as it will burn during baking.
Bake for about 45-50 minutes (35-40 minutes convection) or until crust is well-browned, turning halfway thru baking time. Slide crostata onto a cooling rack. Let cool for 15 minutes, then serve!
If you can't find fresh sour cherries, you can try substituting with canned or jarred sour cherries (also labeled as Red Tart). These can usually be found at the big supermarkets. I would recommend draining thoroughly so the crust doesn't get soggy. You could also substitute with fresh sweet cherries and dribble some lemon juice on top of the fruit to balance the sweetness.
Sour Cherry Crostata
Makes 1 - 9" crostatas
Place a pizza stone or rimless baking/cookie sheet in oven. Preheat oven to 425°F (or 400°F convection).
Makes 1 - 9" crostatas
Place a pizza stone or rimless baking/cookie sheet in oven. Preheat oven to 425°F (or 400°F convection).
Prepare Flour/Almond Mixture:
In a small mixing bowl, combine:
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (8g)
1 tablespoon almond meal (5g)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar (12g)
1 tablespoon crushed amaretti cookies (8g) (or other crisp cookie such as biscotti or graham crackers)
Set aside.
Prepare Crust:
1 tablespoon almond meal (5g)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar (12g)
1 tablespoon crushed amaretti cookies (8g) (or other crisp cookie such as biscotti or graham crackers)
Set aside.
Prepare Crust:
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (192 g)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pour into a 1-cup glass measuring cup, but do not mix together (the milk will settle to the bottom):
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the oil/milk mixture. Mix together with a fork until the dry ingredients are mostly moistened. Scrape sides of bowl and press with your hands any dry bits into the rest of the dough. Form a ball.
Place ball of dough in the center of a 15" x 15" square sheet of parchment paper, and flatten out into a 6" diameter disk with the palm of your hand. Smooth the perimeter if it cracks. Place a large piece of plastic wrap over the disk and using a rolling pin, roll dough out into a rough 13" diameter circle. You may need to reposition plastic wrap as the circle gets bigger.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (192 g)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pour into a 1-cup glass measuring cup, but do not mix together (the milk will settle to the bottom):
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the oil/milk mixture. Mix together with a fork until the dry ingredients are mostly moistened. Scrape sides of bowl and press with your hands any dry bits into the rest of the dough. Form a ball.
Place ball of dough in the center of a 15" x 15" square sheet of parchment paper, and flatten out into a 6" diameter disk with the palm of your hand. Smooth the perimeter if it cracks. Place a large piece of plastic wrap over the disk and using a rolling pin, roll dough out into a rough 13" diameter circle. You may need to reposition plastic wrap as the circle gets bigger.
Place the flour/almond meal mixture in center of rolled out dough. Spread evenly leaving a 2" border around the perimeter.
Prepare Sour Cherry Filling:
Gently combine together in a medium mixing bowl:
1 lb sour cherries (approx. 3 cups), pitted
1 lb sour cherries (approx. 3 cups), pitted
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon (= 4 tsps) cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
Gently mix in with the cherries:
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Spoon the cherry filling on top of the rolled out crust, making sure it stays on the flour/almond mixture. Leave the 2" border bare.
Sprinkle top of pastry, as well as the exposed cherry filling with:
1 tablespoon sanding sugar
Brush off any sanding sugar that falls onto parchment paper as it will burn during baking.
If using a pizza stone, use a pizza peel to slide the parchment paper and crostata directly on top of the stone. Alternatively, for a rimless baking/cookie sheet, remove preheated sheet from oven. Grab a corner of the parchment paper and carefully slide crostata onto the hot cookie sheet. Place sheet in lower third of oven.
Bake for about 45-50 minutes (35-40 minutes convection) or until crust is well-browned, turning halfway thru baking time. Slide crostata onto a cooling rack. Let cool for 15 minutes, then serve!
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