Sometimes baking is not about spending a lot of time in the kitchen with a 5 page long recipe and tens of ingredients. Sometimes baking is about putting together something quick and simple, but still very tasty and made the same care that a grand celebration cake would deserve.
Crostata is the essential baking good in Italy, the jam tart that cannot miss on the Sunday lunch table, the one that brings the whole family together. And when like today, I need to make something but I do not have a lot of time a nice crostata always comes to the rescue (especially if made with the help of a food processor).
You can make it your own by using the topping you prefer: lemon curd, chocolate, fruits, or you can even out more than one in a sort patchwork. My favourite is apricot jam, make sure is the best possible quality as it will be the star of the show.
Recipe
Ingredients
280gr plain flour
100gr caster sugar
110gr butter
1 egg + 1 yolk
1 teaspoon baking powder
A pinch of salt
The zest of 1 lemon or orange
300gr good quality apricot jam
Put the lall the dry ingredients in a food processor and add the butter still cold cut in cubes and mix well. Add the eggs and mix until the pastry comes together, kneed a bit more, take a but of the pastry and put on the side. With the rest line a tart tin and put in the fidge for half a hour.
Bake the tart base for 15-20 minutes at 190C. With the pastry left aside make very thin stripes any othr shape you choose to decorate the top. Take from the oven, spread the jam on it, and cover with the topping decorations.
Return to the oven at 170C until the decoration topping is golden brown. Take from the obven and place on a rack until cooled through. Enjoy immediately or even the day after.
