Marsala And Fig Crostata Recipes

MARSALA AND DRIED-FIG CROSTATA

Steps:

• For filling:
• Combine all ingredients in heavy large saucepan and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until figs are very tender, about 1 hour. Uncover and simmer until liquid reduces slightly, about 8 minutes. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Cool slightly. Refrigerate until cool, stirring occasionally (mixture will be thick), about 45 minutes. Discard cinnamon sticks. (Filling can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.)
• For crust:
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix flour, sugar, fennel seeds, and salt in processor. Add butter and 1 egg. Using on/off turns, process until dough forms. Gather dough into ball; divide in half. Flatten each half into disk. Wrap 1 disk in plastic wrap; refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day. Press remaining dough disk onto bottom and up sides of 10-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Pierce bottom all over with fork. Chill until firm, about 10 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.)
• Roll out chilled dough disk on waxed paper to 12-inch round. Transfer dough on waxed paper to rimless baking sheet. Cut dough into twelve 3/4-inch-wide strips. Chill strips while filling tart. Spread filling evenly in crust. Place 6 dough strips atop filling, spacing evenly. Place remaining 6 strips diagonally atop first 6 strips, forming diamond lattice pattern. Press ends of strips against edge of tart pan to trim. Whisk remaining egg in small bowl to blend; brush over lattice.
• Bake tart until juices bubble thickly around edges and crust is deep golden, about 55 minutes. Cool on rack 1 hour. Using small knife, gently loosen tart from pan sides. Remove sides. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with ice cream.

FIG CROSTATA WITH SWEET PARMESAN CREAM

Steps:

• Place oven rack in lowest position, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Place large pizza stone on rack, and heat 1 hour while preparing other ingredients. Cut 6 sheets of aluminum foil, each one 8 inches square, and set aside.
• Make the crust: Combine flours, sugar and salt in food processor, and pulse to combine. Remove lid, scatter butter over surface of flour and pulse until butter pieces are no longer visible, 10 pulses of 10 seconds or so each. Turn mixture into mixing bowl, and sprinkle with 4 tablespoons ice water. Toss lightly with fingertips. Gather dough together, and squeeze a small portion with fingers. If dough feels dry, add another tablespoon water, and toss to combine. Turn dough onto work surface, press together firmly and pat into round disk. Cut into 6 wedges. Roll each wedge into a ball, flatten slightly and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, and up to 24 hours.
• Make the filling: Combine cream, honey and salt in small saucepan, and heat, stirring to dissolve honey; simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup. Remove from heat, add Parmesan and stir to dissolve. Place egg yolk in small bowl, drizzle with 1 tablespoon hot cream and whisk to combine. Add a second tablespoon, and whisk well to combine. Whisk egg mixture back into cream. Remove from heat. Trim stems from figs, and cut fruit into quarters. Sprinkle evenly with sugar; set aside. Spoon Parmesan cream onto pastry disks, add figs and bake according to recipe. Cream will thicken as it bakes.
• Assemble the crostata: Working 1 piece of dough at a time, flour top and bottom lightly, and roll into thin 8-inch round. Transfer round to a square of foil. Spoon 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of filling in center, leaving 2-inch periphery free. Mound fruit in a circle. (Be sure to use all the filling in the 6 crostatas.) Fold dough over to support filling. Place crostata on sheet pan in refrigerator, and continue forming tarts with remaining dough pieces and fruit filling. Refrigerate all 6 crostatas at least 20 minutes.
• Slide 2 or 3 crostatas onto baking stone. Bake until dough is dark golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove, and cool 10 minutes on rack. Repeat with remaining crostatas. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, or add a dollop of whipped cream or a few tablespoons of chilled heavy cream. Serve.

LEMON CROSTATA WITH FRESH FIGS AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Make the dough: Blend the flour, sugar, and lemon zest at low speed in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the butter and continue blending at low speed until the mixture is coarse and sandy-looking. Add the beaten egg and blend just until the mixture comes together. Form into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• On a floured surface, roll the dough out to a rough circle, about 8 inches in diameter. The dough may seem crumbly but you can just push it back together and make patches if necessary. Transfer to the prepared pan. All around the circle, fold in the outer 1/2-inch of the pastry to form a naturally raised, "rustic" edge to the tart. Don't press the edge down.
• Using your fingers, break the goat cheese into small pieces, sprinkling it over the bottom of the tart (not the edges). Arrange the fig halves in concentric circles over the goat cheese and drizzle the figs with honey. Bake about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the underside of the tart crust is browned.

FRESH FIG AND ALMOND CROSTATA

Steps:

• Make dough: In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, and salt to combine. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ice water; pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, gradually add up to 2 tablespoons more water). Do not overmix. Flatten dough into a disk; wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (and up to 3 days).
• Make filling: In food processor, combine almonds and sugar; process until finely ground. Add 1 egg, butter, flour, vanilla, and salt; pulse until smooth, and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine figs and lemon juice; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a large lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll dough to a 14-inch round. Spread almond filling in center, leaving a 2-inch border; top with fig mixture. Fold border over edge of filling, pleating all around; press down gently to seal. In a small bowl, mix remaining egg with 1 teaspoon water; brush dough with egg wash.
• Lifting edges of parchment, transfer crostata to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 1 hour. Let cool on baking sheet at least 30 minutes. To serve, cut crostata into wedges.

RUSTIC BLUEBERRY AND FIG CROSTATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll pie crust out on a floured work surface to about 10 inches. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
• Combine blueberries, flour, sugar, tarragon, lemon zest and juice, and almond extract in a medium bowl. Mix well.
• Spoon blueberry mixture into the center of the pie crust, leaving about a 2-inch border. Place fig slices in the center in a circular pattern. Fold crust up all around the edge of the blueberries, crimping and pinching to create pleats.
• Whisk egg and water together in a small bowl. Brush edges of crust with mixture and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crust is crispy and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool and set, 15 to 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

DRIED FIG AND MARSALA TART

Steps:

• Set the oven at 400°F/200°C/Gas 6. Put the figs and raisins into a mixing bowl, pour over the Marsala and leave to stand for forty-five minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Make the pastry:
• Cut the cold butter into small cubes and rub into the flour, either with your fingertips or using a food processor. Work until you have what looks like coarse, fresh breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.
• Add the egg yolks to the butter and flour. Mix together until you have a soft dough, then turn out on to a floured board and knead briefly, for just a minute. Shape the dough into a smooth, fat cylinder. Wrap it in greaseproof paper or clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for thirty minutes.
• Make the caramel:
• Place the Tatin mould or a frying pan over a moderate heat. (If you will be baking the tart in a cake tin, use a frying pan to make the caramel, otherwise you will damage your tin.) Add the Marsala from the dried fruit, leaving the fruit behind in the bowl, then add the sugar. Bring to the boil and leave to form a thin caramel. If you are using a Tatin mould, remove from the heat. If you are using a cake tin, pour the caramel from the frying pan into the tin.
• Assemble the tart:
• Cut the butter into small cubes and scatter it over the caramel. Place the plumped-up figs on the base of the tin in a single layer (neatly or not, as you wish), then scatter over the raisins, pushing them into any gaps.
• Roll out the pastry a little larger than the Tatin mould or cake tin. With the help of the rolling pin-it is very fragile-lift the pastry into the mould or tin, pressing it gently into place over the figs. Tuck in any overhanging pastry.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about thirty minutes, until the pastry is golden. Remove from the oven and leave to settle for ten to fifteen minutes. Place a large serving plate on top of the tart, then, using oven gloves, hold the tin and plate firmly and carefully turn them over, leaving the tart to slide out on to the plate. Serve warm with cream, ice cream or crème fraîche.

MARSALA AND FIG CROSTATA

Steps:

• For the filling:
• Combine all ingredients in heavy large saucepan and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low.
• Cover and simmer until figs are very tender, about 1 hour.
• Uncover and simmer until liquid reduces slightly, about 8 minutes.
• Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Cool slightly. Refrigerate until cool, stirring occasionally (mixture will be thick), about 45 minutes.
• Discard cinnamon sticks. Filling can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
• For the crust:
• Preheat oven to 375°F
• Mix flour, sugar, fennel seeds, and salt in processor. Add butter and 1 egg. Using on/off turns, process until dough forms.
• Gather dough into ball; divide in half. Flatten each half into disk.
• Wrap 1 disk in plastic wrap; refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.
• Press remaining dough disk onto bottom and up sides of 10-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom.
• Pierce bottom all over with fork.
• Chill until firm, about 10 minutes. Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
• Roll out chilled dough disk on waxed paper to 12-inch round.
• Transfer dough on waxed paper to rimless baking sheet.
• Cut dough into twelve 3/4-inch-wide strips.
• Chill strips while filling tart. Spread filling evenly in crust.
• Place 6 dough strips atop filling, spacing evenly. Place remaining 6 strips diagonally atop first 6 strips, forming diamond lattice pattern. Press ends of strips against edge of tart pan to trim.
• Whisk remaining egg in small bowl to blend; brush over lattice.
• Bake tart until juices bubble thickly around edges and crust is deep golden, about 55 minutes.
• Cool on rack 1 hour. Using small knife, gently loosen tart from pan sides. Remove sides.
• Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with ice cream. Serves 8.
• That's it!