Recipe: Crostata (Fruit Tart)

I miss eating this wonderful dessert at home in Italy. This version is light on butter.  I used apricots, but any fruit will do. Primo has a fruit orchard at his business. Marina makes good use of the fruit by making marmalata (jam) and crostata.

Fruit Crostata (makes two)

Crust:
2 Cups flour
2 T sugar
Cup olive oil
½ Cup milk
1 t vanilla extract
½ t almond extract
1 T butter, melted

Filling:
4-5 cups of fresh cherries, apricots or peaches
½ Cup preserves

Topping:
¼ c slivered almonds
Sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F)

Make the crust: In a bowl, combine flour and sugar. Slowly add the oil, mixing with a fork

In a second bowl, stir together milk, melted butter and both extracts.

Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork. Form dough into two disks. It will be sticky.

Place one disk between two pieces of parchment paper and roll out until it is about 1/8 inch thick (smaller than the size of a dinner plate)

Discard top paper. Spread jam gently onto the dough.

Place 2 ½ cups of fruit in the center of the crust. Fold the edges of the crust up and over the sides of the fruit, overlapping a little. (You may brush the crust with a egg wash.)

Sprinkle almonds over the fruit. Lightly sprinkle entire surface with sugar.

Lift the parchment paper with the crostata onto a baking sheet or baking dish.

Bake 20-30 minutes until crust is golden.