Lattice Topped Apricot Crostata Food

LATTICE-TOPPED APRICOT CROSTATA

Steps:

• Cut butter into 1/2-inch pieces. In a bowl whisk together flours, sugar, and salt. With your fingertips or a pastry blender blend in butter until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with remainder in small (roughly pea-size) lumps. In a cup with a fork stir together whole egg and yolk until combined well and stir into flour mixture. Stir in vanilla and lemon juice and with hands gently knead mixture just until it forms a dough.
• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Form one third dough (about 1/2 pound) into a ball and flatten into a thin disk. Chill disk, wrapped in plastic wrap, while working with remaining two thirds.
• Reserve one fourth remaining dough and crumble remainder into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and pat out dough to evenly cover bottom (not side). With lightly floured hands roll reserved piece of dough into several 1/2-inch-thick ropes. Arrange ropes end-to-end around edge of pastry against rim of pan, pressing gently, to form a shallow side. Spread preserves over bottom.
• With a rolling pin roll out chilled dough between 2 sheets plastic wrap into an 11-inch round and transfer in plastic wrap to a baking sheet. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap and with a fluted pastry cutter cut round into 1-inch-wide strips. Freeze dough on baking sheet 10 minutes to firm up dough.
• Working quickly, carefully invert dough strips onto baking sheet and remove plastic. Arrange dough strips over tart in an open lattice pattern (do not make a woven lattice), trimming edges to fit inside rim of pan. (Don't worry if strips break while making the lattice. Just lay any broken pieces in place‑they will meld together during baking.) Brush lattice with cold water and sprinkle with sugar. Scatter almonds over crostata and bake in middle of oven 45 minutes, or until lattice is golden. Cool crostata in pan on a rack. Crostata may be made 2 days ahead and kept, loosely covered, at room temperature.

APRICOT CROSTATA

Steps:

• Mix together apricots, white sugar, and rum in a bowl. Cover and let macerate in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a 12-inch square of parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray.
• Place flour, cold butter, dark brown sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and ginger into a food processor. Blend in short bursts until butter is in pea-sized lumps.
• Whisk together buttermilk and egg in a bowl; pour into butter-flour mixture and continue to blend until it forms a soft dough. Form dough into a smooth ball, using additional flour as needed.
• Pat dough ball into a thick circle onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Drain apricots, reserving juice in a bowl. Spread apricots evenly on top of dough circle; draw edges of dough up over fruit.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crostata is baked through, golden on top, and fruit is soft, about 45 minutes.
• While crostata is baking, pour reserved apricot juice and orange juice into a saucepan. Bring mixture to a simmer; cook syrup until it has reduced by 2/3.
• Remove crostata from the oven. Brush syrup on top. Let cool slightly. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

APRICOT CROSTATA

Steps:

• Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Beat in egg and vanilla.
• Reduce speed to low and mix in flour, salt, and lemon zest until mixture just forms a dough.
• Shape dough into 2 balls, 1 slightly larger than the other.
• Flatten each ball into a 5-inch disk, then wrap each in wax paper and chill 30 minutes.
• Stir together preserves, lemon juice, and extract in a small bowl.
• Roll out thicker piece of dough (keep remaining piece chilled) between 2 sheets of wax paper into an 11-inch round.
• Remove top sheet of paper and invert dough into a 9- by 1-inch fluted round tart pan with a removable bottom.
• Peel off paper and fit dough into pan, trimming side to 1/4 inch below top of rim.
• Chill shell.
• Roll out remaining dough in same manner and remove top sheet of paper, then cut dough into 10 (1-inch-wide) strips.
• Slide strips on wax paper onto a baking sheet and chill until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F
• Spread apricot filling in tart shell and arrange 5 strips across filling (about 1 inch apart), trimming excess dough at ends of strips.
• Arrange remaining 5 strips on top (about 1 inch apart) to form a lattice (do not weave), trimming ends.
• Press ends onto edge of tart shell and bake crostata in middle of oven until golden, 40 to 50 minutes.
• Cool completely in pan on a rack.

LATTICE-TOPPED APRICOT TART

Steps:

• for filling:
• Combine 1 pound apricots and 3 tablespoons water in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring often. Cover; cook over medium heat until apricots are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Stir in sugar; cook uncovered until apricots are very tender, liquid evaporates and mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Cool filling slightly. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)
• for crust:
• Mix flour, sugar and salt in medium bowl to blend. Add butter. Rub in with fingertips until coarse crumbs form. Using fork, mix in yolks. Transfer to work surface. Knead gently just until dough comes together. Divide dough into 2 pieces, using 2/3 of dough for 1 piece and remaining 1/3 for second piece. Flatten into disks. Wrap each disk in plastic. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
• Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Press larger dough disk onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Roll out second dough disk on parchment paper to 8-inch round. Cut dough into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Chill while filling tart. Spread apricot preserves evenly over bottom of unbaked crust. Spoon apricot filling over preserves. Arrange 1/2 pound apricot wedges atop filling. Arrange dough strips atop filling to form lattice. Trim ends of strips at tart pan edges. Brush lattice with egg glaze.
• Bake tart until crust is golden brown and fruit just bubbles, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool on rack 45 minutes. Using small knife, gently loosen tart from pan sides. Remove sides. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.