 | | | Pear-Cranberry Pistachio Crostata Photo Susie Iventosch | | | | | | Makes one 9-inch crostata, serves 8-10, great for dessert and especially great warmed up for breakfast the day after!
Crostata Dough
INGREDIENTS
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, chilled
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
2-3 tablespoons cold milk or iced water
DIRECTIONS
Cut butter into 1/2-inch pieces; wrap and chill thoroughly. Combine flour, sugar and salt in bowl of food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse just to combine. Add the butter and pulse 6-8 times until the butter is about the size of small peas. Add the egg yolk and water and pulse a few times more, just until the dough begins to form a ball. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and gently knead to finish combining. Press dough into a round, flattened disk, wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour or up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Note: It's also possible to make the dough by hand or in a bowl of a mixer with a paddle attachment. If going the mixer route, mix dry ingredients on low, just to combine. Drop butter into bowl and mix on low until butter is incorporated, about the size of small peas. Add egg yolk and milk or water together; continue mixing just until dough holds together.
Filling
INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 pounds (about 4, depending on size) Bosc pears, peeled, halved, cored
1/4 cup, plus 1/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon sugar (for different parts of crostata)
4 tablespoons butter (for pears), plus 4 tablespoons butter (for paste)
1/4 cup unsalted pistachios for paste, plus 20 pistachios, roughly chopped for topping
1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1 cup dried cranberries
DIRECTIONS
Roasting pears
Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare pears, making sure when coring to also remove the fibrous portion that usually runs up the middle of the fruit. Place each pear half in roasting pan, cored side down, then sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar and dot with 4 tablespoons butter. Roast until pears begin to caramelize, turning golden brown (about 30 minutes, depending on oven), then flip, drizzling the caramel that is formed on the pan bottom over the pears. Continue roasting until pears are fork tender, another 5-10 minutes. Cool in pan. Reserve.
Note: This step may be done up to 4 days before preparing crostata. Wrap pears and keep chilled in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature when ready to assemble.
Author's Note: I used green D'Anjou pears and though they also hold up to cooking, this step took only about 20 minutes total in my oven, so just be aware not to overcook pears, which may depend upon what kind you use!
Pistachio Paste
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread pistachios on parchment paper-lined baking sheet and roast for 8 minutes. When cool, chop pistachios in food processor or blender until fine. In mixer using paddle attachment, cream remaining 1/4 cup sugar with remaining 4 tablespoons butter until light, about 2 minutes. Add ground pistachios and mix until combined. On low, beat in egg and vanilla, beating 1 minute more, scraping bowl after each addition. Add flour and salt until combined. Reserve.
Note: This step may be done up to 4 days before preparing crostata. Wrap and keep refrigerated. Bring to room temperature when ready to assemble.
Author's Note: Though I've found them before, I couldn't find unsalted pistachios this week, so I used "lightly salted" already roasted pistachios, and the paste turned out delicious! I also omitted the egg in this part, because I wanted to eat this yummy paste right out of the bowl!
Assembling
Slice each pear half into a fan, starting at the thicker end, making 4-5 slices, each one stopping just short of the stem end.
Preheat oven to 400 F. Roll out dough into a 12- to 14-inch round. Transfer onto a lightly buttered or parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread pistachio paste over dough, leaving about a 1-inch border around edge of dough. Place pears over the paste, then top with cranberries. Fold over dough, leaving a 4- to 5-inch window in the middle. Brush entire dough surface with remaining egg yolk wash, sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and remaining roughly chopped pistachios. Bake for 15 minutes, rotate pan in oven, and turn down heat to 350 F. Bake another 40-45 minutes.
Author's Note: Again, in my oven, the entire ba-king time was probably only about 30-35 minutes. It's really just a matter of getting the crust nice and golden brown.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA