Apricot And Amaretti Crostata Recipes

CROSTATA WITH DRIED APRICOTS AND TALEGGIO

Steps:

• For the crust: Add the flour, salt, and sugar to a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is finely chopped and the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the mascarpone cheese and lemon juice and pulse a few times. Add the ice water and run the machine just until the mixture is moist and crumbly, but does not form a ball. Do not overmix. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Press into a disk, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• For the filling: Put an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine the apricots, walnuts, lemon zest, cinnamon, and sea salt. Add the honey and stir until all the ingredients are coated. Stir in 2/3 of the cheese.
• Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit inside a 12 by 17-inch baking sheet and put it on a work surface. Put the chilled dough on the parchment paper. Roll the dough into an 11-inch circle, about 1/4-inch thick. Lift the parchment paper and transfer it to a baking sheet. Put the apricot filling in the center of the dough, spreading evenly, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the dough border over the filling to form an 8-inch round. Pleat the edge of the pastry and pinch to seal any cracks in the dough. Arrange the remaining cheese on top of the filling.
• Using a pastry brush, brush the crust with the beaten egg. Bake until the crust starts to turn golden, about 15 to 18 minutes. Cover the crostata loosely with a piece of foil and cook until the crust is golden and the cheese has melted, another 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the crostata from the oven to a cutting board and uncover. Cool for 10 minutes, then cut into slices and arrange on a serving platter. Serve while still warm.

APRICOT AND AMARETTI CROSTATA

Steps:

• For crust:
• Blend flour, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in processor. Add butter. Using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles very coarse meal. Add 4 tablespoons ice water. Blend to moist clumps, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap dough in plastic; chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• Roll out dough on lightly floured sheet of parchment paper to 13-to 14-inch round. Slide dough, still on parchment paper, onto rimless baking sheet; chill 10 minutes.
• For filling and cream:
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss apricots, brown sugar, butter, 2 teaspoons honey, and cinnamon in large bowl to coat. Spread amaretti crumbs in center of dough, leaving 2-inch plain border. Top crumbs with apricots and juices. Fold border over edge of fruit; brush with glaze.
• Bake crostata on parchment on sheet 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Bake until crust is golden and juices bubble thickly, about 40 minutes. Cool 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk whipping cream and 4 teaspoons honey in medium bowl until peaks form. Chill until ready to serve.
• Run spatula under crust to loosen from parchment. Slide crostata onto platter. Brush fruit lightly with additional honey. Serve crostata warm or at room temperature with honey-sweetened whipped cream.
• Available at some supermarkets and at Italian markets.

AMARETTO CHOCOLATE TART WITH APRICOT CREAM

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Liberally butter the tart pan.
• For the crust: Combine the all-purpose flour, almond flour, almonds, cocoa powder and sugar in a food processor. Process until the almonds are finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture forms a coarse meal. With the processor running, gradually add 2 tablespoons of iced water until the mixture forms a ball, adding extra water, as needed, if the mixture is too dry. Form the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Roll out the dough into a 10-inch circle on a lightly floured work surface. Place the dough in the tart pan and trim any excess dough from the top of the pan. If the dough cracks, press scraps of dough into the cracks to seal. Prick the dough all over, using a fork, and bake for 15 minutes. Let the crust cool for 15 minutes.
• For the filling: Place the chocolate and butter in a small bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Beat the eggs, liqueur, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl. Pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake until the filing has set and begins to crack slightly on top, 22 to 25 minutes. Allow the tart to cool completely, about 1 hour.
• For the apricot cream: Beat the cream at high speed until stiff peaks form, using a hand mixer. Add the jam and vanilla. Beat until the jam is incorporated into the cream.
• Remove the tart from the pan and cut into thin wedges. Serve with a dollop of apricot cream.

APRICOT CROSTATA

Steps:

• Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and mix in flour, salt, and lemon zest until mixture just forms a dough.
• Shape dough into 2 balls, 1 slightly larger than the other. Flatten each ball into a 5-inch disk, then wrap each in wax paper and chill 30 minutes.
• Stir together preserves, lemon juice, and extract in a small bowl.
• Roll out thicker piece of dough (keep remaining piece chilled) between 2 sheets of wax paper into an 11-inch round. Remove top sheet of paper and invert dough into a 9- by 1-inch fluted round tart pan with a removable bottom. Peel off paper and fit dough into pan, trimming side to 1/4 inch below top of rim. Chill shell.
• Roll out remaining dough in same manner and remove top sheet of paper, then cut dough into 10 (1-inch-wide) strips. Slide strips on wax paper onto a baking sheet and chill until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Spread apricot filling in tart shell and arrange 5 strips across filling (about 1 inch apart), trimming excess dough at ends of strips. Arrange remaining 5 strips on top (about 1 inch apart) to form a lattice (do not weave), trimming ends. Press ends onto edge of tart shell and bake crostata in middle of oven until golden, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack.

APRICOT CROSTATA

Steps:

• Mix together apricots, white sugar, and rum in a bowl. Cover and let macerate in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a 12-inch square of parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray.
• Place flour, cold butter, dark brown sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and ginger into a food processor. Blend in short bursts until butter is in pea-sized lumps.
• Whisk together buttermilk and egg in a bowl; pour into butter-flour mixture and continue to blend until it forms a soft dough. Form dough into a smooth ball, using additional flour as needed.
• Pat dough ball into a thick circle onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Drain apricots, reserving juice in a bowl. Spread apricots evenly on top of dough circle; draw edges of dough up over fruit.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crostata is baked through, golden on top, and fruit is soft, about 45 minutes.
• While crostata is baking, pour reserved apricot juice and orange juice into a saucepan. Bring mixture to a simmer; cook syrup until it has reduced by 2/3.
• Remove crostata from the oven. Brush syrup on top. Let cool slightly. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

ALBICOCCHE AL FORNO (BAKED APRICOTS WITH AMARETTI)

Steps:

• Please note: I will have to check the amount of filling and the amount of apricots again, which I will do soon. If you decide to make it, please have some extra apricots ready.
• Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F).
• Put amaretti cookies into a small bowl and pour the amaretto over it.
• Wash apricots and cut them in halves. Discard the stone.
• Using a spoon, take out some of the fruit flesh without hurting the skin. Roughly chop the fruit flesh.
• Add sugar, egg yolk and chopped apricot flesh to the amaretti cookies and mix. While mixing, crush the cookies with a spoon. Do not mix for too long; it's nice to have some cookie chunks.
• Fill the apricots with the mixture, ca 1 tablespoon per half.
• Put into a well buttered oven-proof baking dish.
• Pour white wine over apricots.
• Bake for ca 25 minutes or until done.

APRICOT CROSTATA

Steps:

• Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Beat in egg and vanilla.
• Reduce speed to low and mix in flour, salt, and lemon zest until mixture just forms a dough.
• Shape dough into 2 balls, 1 slightly larger than the other.
• Flatten each ball into a 5-inch disk, then wrap each in wax paper and chill 30 minutes.
• Stir together preserves, lemon juice, and extract in a small bowl.
• Roll out thicker piece of dough (keep remaining piece chilled) between 2 sheets of wax paper into an 11-inch round.
• Remove top sheet of paper and invert dough into a 9- by 1-inch fluted round tart pan with a removable bottom.
• Peel off paper and fit dough into pan, trimming side to 1/4 inch below top of rim.
• Chill shell.
• Roll out remaining dough in same manner and remove top sheet of paper, then cut dough into 10 (1-inch-wide) strips.
• Slide strips on wax paper onto a baking sheet and chill until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F
• Spread apricot filling in tart shell and arrange 5 strips across filling (about 1 inch apart), trimming excess dough at ends of strips.
• Arrange remaining 5 strips on top (about 1 inch apart) to form a lattice (do not weave), trimming ends.
• Press ends onto edge of tart shell and bake crostata in middle of oven until golden, 40 to 50 minutes.
• Cool completely in pan on a rack.