I know my blog has had more than its fair share of recipes lately, but I was just in Italy and I can’t help myself!!

After so many compliments on his crostatta, Chef Massimiliano offered to teach our yoga retreat group how to make crostatta.   The only problem was that we were running out of time and the lesson overlapped with my afternoon yoga session.  As torn as the group was -because we did indeed have a very committed group of yogis!-, about half attended the crostatta baking lesson.  I taught the yoga class while Marilyn and others attended the crostatta baking lesson.  Marilyn diligently wrote this recipe down, and took these photos (thank you, Marilyn!!).

As you can see, Massimiliano didn’t use apricot jam that day.  You can basically use your favorite kind of jam for this recipe.  I took the photo of the Apricot Crostatta, which I have included (last photo) here and which happens to be my favorite (and Marilyn’s favorite, too)!

APRICOT CROSTATTA

500 grams farina (18 oz) I used regular flour

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

Pinch of salt

200 grams of butter (7 oz)

200 grams of sugar (7 oz)

15 grams of yeast (2 pkgs or 5 oz)

1 lemon zested

Cream butter and sugar in mix master.

Place flour on the counter and make a well in center.  Add eggs and yolk, salt, creamed butter, lemon zest and yeast.  Mix together by pulling flour in from the sides until it is formed into a ball of dough.  Sprinkle surface with flour and knead well, using the heel of your hand.  Really work it.  Rest in refrigerator for ½ hour.

flour and egg “well”

mixing by hand

Cut off half the dough and press it into a 10 inch pan, preferably with shallow sides.  Make sure it is evenly dispersed and up the sides.  Cut off excess around the edge.  Line the pastry with a jar of apricot jam (I get the one from Trader Joe’s).

Roll out half of what dough remains and cut into 6/8 inch strips and place on top (lattice).

lattice work

lattice work completed!

Bake in a 375 degree oven (350 convection oven) for 25 minutes.  If you use a convection oven, be sure the turn the tart after 15 minutes.

baked and ready to be devoured!

You will have dough left over.  You can roll out and make cookies with it.  (linzer cookies with jam, add cocoa powder and make chocolate cookies, use your imagination).

Apricot Crostatta that Massimiliano made for us!