Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour, plus extra for dusting
1 cup butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
3/4 cup sugar
1 pinch salt
1 lemons, zest of
3 egg yolks, beaten
1/4 cup cherry jam ( can also use strawberry jam as well)
1 lb ripe sweet cherries, washed, pitted and cut in half
powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
Directions:
Prepare crostata dough: Sift 2 1/2 cups flour.
Place flour, butter (minus 1 tablespoon), sugar, salt, and lemon zest in food processor.
Pulse until mixture is moistened and crumbly.
Add egg yolks and pulse until mixture just begins to form a ball of dough. (Crust can be mixed by hand if you do not have a food processor).
Remove dough and flatten into a disk.
Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Unwrap dough and place it on a floured work surface.
I have a little better luck rolling out the dough if I let it come back to room temperature a bit.
Roll out crust into a circle about 12 inches in diameter.
Transfer circle to a parchment lined baking sheet.
Using a fork, prick holes in the crust about 5 or 6 times.
In saucepan over low heat, warm cherry (or strawberry) jam with remaining 1 tbsp butter.
Spread warm jam in a thin layer over the crust, leaving about 1 1/2 to 2 inches around the edges for a border.
Spread fresh cherries over the jam.
Fold the outer edges of the dough over the fruit, leaving about a 6-8 inch circle of the cherries showing in the middle.
I turned the halved cherries that were visible in the middle skin side up to make the crostata look a bit more uniform.
Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Let cool.
Dust with powdered sugar if desired, and serve.
Servings: 8-10
Time preparation: 50 min.
Time total: 80 min.