I thought about calling this a “rustic cherry crostata” or a “free form cherry crostata” to justify both the less-than-stellar quality of this photograph and the inherent sloppy appearance of the dessert (which was actually eaten for breakfast, but we aren’t keeping score here).
The truth is, I’m never going to be a photographer.
Well, unless someone wants to buy me a new camera and then pay a professional to teach me how to use it (#notgoingtohappen).
The fact that I’m never going to take Pinterest-perfect pictures of pastries (excuse the alliteration here) tied up with colorful ribbons, perfectly stacked on a photoshopped surface is hardly reason enough to let recipes like cherry crostata sit untouched in WordPress drafts.
There are a lot of things I might never be perfect at, but I am still going to do them.
But for now, a cherry dessert that sounds way more complicated than it is.
You can make the pastry the day before and let it chill in the fridge, covered, overnight if you don’t need to bake until the next day. You can also repurpose any excess filling as a topping for yogurt or ice cream.
What I’m trying to say here is that this cherry crostata will take you far. Go for it.
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out pastry
- ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 10 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 4 tablespoons ice water, more if needed
- 1 pound fresh cherries, pitted and halved
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
- Place both flours, 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl or food processor and whisk to combine or pulse to blend. Add cold butter and cut in using a pastry blender, or pulse in food processor. Add ice water, a tablespoon at a time, until dough just begins to come together. Add a tablespoon or two more ice water if needed. Gather dough and shape into a disc. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, toss cherries in a medium bowl with remaining ¼ cup sugar, cornstarch, orange juice and orange zest.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle about ⅛-inch thick. Gently transfer dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Top with cherry mixture, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold edges of dough up over fruit, leaving most of the fruit surface exposed in the center. Bake until crust is golden and fruit juices bubble, about 45 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.
10 Comments
Cate O'Malley
August 29, 2012 at 11:07 amIt looks delicious, and perfect for cherry season.
leslie
August 17, 2012 at 4:38 pmThe rustic looking the better!
Candace
August 11, 2012 at 5:08 pmI think this crostada looks amazing. I am a huge lover of cherries and I can totally see myself having this for breakfast……..every.day.of.my.life.
Christina @ Sweet Pea's Kitchen
August 9, 2012 at 9:12 pmMan….I need this in my life right now! I love cherry desserts! 🙂
Barbara Thompson
August 9, 2012 at 2:00 pmI’ve been tempted for some time to make such. We like this type of breakfast too. Fruit and ‘toast’ in one! Are those sweet cherries such as Bing or pie cherries such as Montmorency?
Leftover dough? roll out, sprinkle heavily with cinnamon and sugar. Roll up into a log, slice into one inch pieces, set on a cookie sheet upright. bake with the crostata. (From my grandmother)
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
August 9, 2012 at 6:30 amI love this!! This looks made with love and I’d much prefer something like this. It looks like it will taste fantastic.
bellini
August 8, 2012 at 7:20 amYummm!!!!!!!I do still have some cherries in the fridge as well.
Mom
August 8, 2012 at 5:15 amYou will be making this for me! I think we all know how I would love this
Olga @ MangoTomato
August 7, 2012 at 10:39 pmI love cherries and the casual look of this dessert! I especially like the addition of orange juice and zest.
You know what the awesomeness of Pinterest is? People pin photos b/c they want to make the dishes, not necessarily b/c they look gorgeous (like Tastespotting and Foodgawker) 🙂
camille
August 8, 2012 at 10:10 pmI know that this is true because a couple of people have pinned photos of things I’ve made, and I too am not much of a photographer. I’m pretty sure the food’s good, though!