Almond Cranberry Crostata Recipes

CRANBERRY ALMOND CRUMBLE

Steps:

• Make the filling: Heat the butter in medium saute pan. Add the pears and saute until slightly tender and juicy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup sugar and the cloves. Toss and remove from the heat to cool.
• Combine the remaining 1 cup sugar, the lemon juice, syrup and orange zest and mix. Add the cranberries and toss to coat the fruit.
• Heat a medium saute pan and add the cranberry mixture. Saute quickly, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Combine the pear and cranberry mixtures in a bowl and set aside to cool.
• Make the topping: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Mix to blend. Work the butter in with your fingers until the mixture is coarse and somewhat moist. The butter should not be fully integrated but there should not be any large chunks either. At the last minute, gently blend in the almonds.
• Assemble the crumble: Arrange the fruit in the baking dish and spread the topping evenly over the fruit. Place the dish in the center of the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The fruit should be tender and yielding when pierced with the tip of a knife. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Grate a little zest from the lemon on top of the crumble. Serve with scoops of vanilla ice cream topped with Orange Garnish if desired.
• Bring 2 small pots of water to a boil.
• Using a small knife, peel one single piece of skin from around the "equator" (center) of each orange. Trim any thick pith off the inside of each peel, taking care they stay in one piece.
• Drop the zests into the first pot and boil for 1 minute. Strain and drop them into the second pot. Cook for 1 minute, strain and set them aside.
• In a third small pot, bring the sugar, 2 cups water and turmeric to a boil. Submerge the orange zests and cook over high heat until the liquid boils. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the zests are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the zests to a baking sheet and allow them to cool flat.

CRANBERRY ALMOND CROSTATA

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Pulse almonds with 1/4 cup flour until finely ground (be careful not to grind to a paste).
• Beat together butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reserve 1 tablespoon beaten egg, chilled, for egg wash and beat remaining egg into butter mixture, then add vanilla and almond extracts, beating well. At low speed, mix in almond mixture, zest, salt, and remaining 1 3/4 cups flour until mixture just forms a dough.
• Halve dough and form each half into a 5- to 6-inch disk. Wrap disks separately in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Make filling:
• Bring cranberries, orange juice, marmalade, brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a heavy medium pot, stirring, then simmer, uncovered, until some of cranberries burst and mixture is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Cool filling quickly by spreading it in a shallow baking pan and chilling until lukewarm, about 15 minutes.
• Bake crostata:
• Preheat oven to 375°F with a foil-lined large baking sheet on middle rack. Generously butter springform pan.
• Roll out 1 piece of dough between sheets of parchment paper into a 12-inch round (dough will be very tender). Remove top sheet of paper and invert dough into springform pan. (Dough will tear easily but can be patched together with your fingers.) Press dough over bottom and up side of pan, trimming dough to reach 1/2 inch up side of pan. Chill shell.
• Roll out remaining dough into a 12-inch round in same manner. Remove top sheet of paper, then cut dough into 10 (1/3-inch-wide) strips with pastry wheel and slide (still on wax paper) onto a tray. Freeze strips until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Spread filling in chilled shell and arrange 5 strips 1 inch apart on filling. Arrange remaining 5 strips 1 inch apart diagonally across first strips to form a lattice with diamond-shaped spaces. Trim edges of all strips flush with edge of shell. Brush lattice top with reserved beaten egg and sprinkle crostata with granulated sugar.
• Bake crostata in pan on hot baking sheet until pastry is golden and filling is bubbling, 50 to 60 minutes. (If pastry is too brown after 30 minutes, loosely cover crostata with foil.) Cool crostata completely in pan on a rack, 1 1/2 to 2 hours (to allow juices to thicken).

PEAR AND CRANBERRY CROSTATA

Steps:

• Make the Pie Dough: In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, and salt and mix to combine. Add the butter and continue mixing until the mixture holds together when you clump it, and there are pecan-sized lumps of butter still visible.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the yolks and milk in small bowl.
• Add the yolk mixture to the flour mixture and mix until a dough forms. Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap, wrap well and store in the refrigerator for several hours. (The dough will keep for several days in the fridge and several weeks in the freezer.)
• Make the Almond Cream: In the standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add almond flour and mix until just combined. Add eggs and mix until combined. Add flour, vanilla, and salt and mix. Store covered in refrigerator for up to a week.
• Make the Roasted Pears: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the pears with the ginger in a roasting pan and arrange them in a single layer. Sprinkle the sugar on top and dot with the butter. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool. (Store covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.)
• Assemble the Crostata: Using half of the pie dough (reserve half for another use), roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface into a circle about 12 to 14 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick. Transfer the dough to a lightly buttered baking sheet.
• Using a spatula, spread a circle of almond cream about 8 inches in diameter in the center of the dough (use about 1/2 cup of the almond cream). Arrange the pears in concentric circles in 2 layers on top of almond cream circle. Sprinkle the cranberries on top of the pears. Fold the edges of the dough in, slightly covering the pears, to form a free-form tart. Brush with the beaten egg and bake until the pastry is golden brown, about 1 hour. Remove from oven, let cool, and serve.

STRAWBERRY ALMOND CROSTATA

Steps:

• Combine flour and sugar. Cut in cold butter. Add 2 eggs and yolk. Mix together with wooden spoon until it forms a ball. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate one half hour. In a medium sized bowl, combine strawberries, almonds, flour and sugar. Roll dough into a cylinder and cut off pieces as needed. Roll each piece into circle 4-inches in diameter and 1/8-inch thick. Place a spoonful of strawberry mixture in center and gently fold up the sides, overlapping as you go. Brush with egg wash and bake at 350 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes.

MINI HONEY-ALMOND CRANBERRY CROSTATAS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Place cooking parchment paper on cookie sheet. In 1-quart saucepan, heat water and honey to boiling. Stir in cranberries; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently, until berries have popped and mixture is thickened. Cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, unroll crust on work surface. Roll crust out slightly; cut into 8 4-inch rounds. Reroll scraps and cut remaining rounds if necessary. Place rounds on parchment-lined cookie sheet. Discard scraps.
• Gently press 1 heaping teaspoon almond paste in center of each crust round. Divide cranberry mixture evenly over almond paste. Fold 1/2 inch of each crust round over filling, pinching slightly so crust lays flat on cranberry mixture. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake 14-16 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Drizzle 1 tsp. honey over each crostata. If desired, serve warm with ice cream.

MINI HONEY-ALMOND CRANBERRY CROSTATAS

Steps:

• 1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place cooking parchment paper on cookie sheet. 2. In a 1-quart saucepan, heat water and honey to boiling. 3. Stir in cranberries, reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently, until berries have popped and mixture is thickened. Cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
• 4. Meanwhile, unroll crust on work surface. Roll crust out slightly, cut into 8 (4-inch) rounds. Reroll scrapes and cut remaining rounds if necessary. Place rounds on parchment=lined cookie sheet. Discard scraps.
• 5. Gently press 1 heaping teaspoons almond paste in center of each crust round. Divide cranberry mixture evenly over almond paste. Fold 1/2" of each crust round over filling, pinching slightly so crust lays flat on cranberry mixture. Sprinkle each with almonds. Bake 14-16 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Drizzle 1 teaspoon honey over each crostata, if desired, serve warm with ice cream.