Blackberry Crostata - Delicious Shortcrust Summer Pie
This blackberry crostata is equal parts delicious and show-stopping. Made with all-berry jam and topped with fresh blackberries - an ultimate summer pie for your eyes and taste buds.
Mix all dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder and lemon. Add well refrigerated butter cut in small cubes.
Using a wooden spatula mix everything well, crushing butter in smaller pieces.
Mix in the eggs (pulled right from the fridge). Once the dough reached an even, but still crumbly consistency start to knead it with your hands.
The kneading process should be very fast, so that the dough remains cool and butter doesn’t melt too much. That’s the reason we work the dough as much as we can first using a spatula and only at its finish stage we knead with the hands.
Press the dough making it a bit more flat. Cover with a plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
On a well floured surface roll the dough approx ⅙ inch thick. Roll it onto the rolling pin and transfer to the baking pan. Spread evenly across the bottom and the borders of the pan. Cut off the excess. Stick it with a fork all across.
Cover with parchment paper(!) and top with any kind of beans or dry peas. Since we are baking this crostata base without a filling, the point of the beans is to serve as weight and prevent the dough from bubbling unevenly.
Bake in a preheated to 350F oven for 15-20 minutes.
Let cool completely.
In the meantime prepare the glaze.
Gelatin Glaze
Soak gelatin sheets in water for 10 minutes.
In a pan heat ½ cup water, 2 tablespoon sugar and softened gelatin sheets till sugar and gelatin are completely dissolved, but NOT boiling. Let cool till room temperature.
Assembling Crostata
Spread approx 1 cup of jam over already cooled crostata base.
Top with fresh blackberries. Pour over room temperature gelatin glaze.
TIP: Wash your hands with a cold water before kneading.
Try avoiding sun-exposed surface when working with the dough.
During hot summer days instead of placing the dough to rest in the fridge I recommend placing it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
Notes
TIP 1: Wash your hands with a cold water before kneading.TIP 2: Avoid sun-exposed surface when working with the dough.TIP 3: During hot summer days instead of placing the dough to rest in the fridge I recommend placing it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.