Recipe courtesy of Joanne Chang

Pear and Cranberry Crostata

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Yield: 8 servings
  • Total: 7 hr 35 min
  • Prep: 50 min
  • Inactive: 5 hr
  • Cook: 1 hr 45 min
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Ingredients

Pie Dough:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes

3 egg yolks

5 tablespoons milk

Almond Cream:

14 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

2 1/4 cups almond flour

4 eggs

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch salt

Roasted Pears:

6 Bosc pears, peeled, halved, and cored

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 (1-inch) piece fresh, peeled ginger, cut into 4 pieces

1/2 cup fresh cranberries

1 egg, beaten

Directions

  1. Make the Pie Dough: In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, and salt and mix to combine. Add the butter and continue mixing until the mixture holds together when you clump it, and there are pecan-sized lumps of butter still visible.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk together the yolks and milk in small bowl.
  3. Add the yolk mixture to the flour mixture and mix until a dough forms. Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap, wrap well and store in the refrigerator for several hours. (The dough will keep for several days in the fridge and several weeks in the freezer.)
  4. Make the Almond Cream: In the standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add almond flour and mix until just combined. Add eggs and mix until combined. Add flour, vanilla, and salt and mix. Store covered in refrigerator for up to a week.
  5. Make the Roasted Pears: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the pears with the ginger in a roasting pan and arrange them in a single layer. Sprinkle the sugar on top and dot with the butter. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool. (Store covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.)
  6. Assemble the Crostata: Using half of the pie dough (reserve half for another use), roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface into a circle about 12 to 14 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick. Transfer the dough to a lightly buttered baking sheet.
  7. Using a spatula, spread a circle of almond cream about 8 inches in diameter in the center of the dough (use about 1/2 cup of the almond cream). Arrange the pears in concentric circles in 2 layers on top of almond cream circle. Sprinkle the cranberries on top of the pears. Fold the edges of the dough in, slightly covering the pears, to form a free-form tart. Brush with the beaten egg and bake until the pastry is golden brown, about 1 hour. Remove from oven, let cool, and serve.

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Kent Jason C.

The ginger flavor was lacking. Maybe I should have followed my instinct and extracted the juice of the ginger instead of putting the slices beside the bosc pears as they roast. <div><br /></div><div>The author could have spared us from making a ginormous amount of almond cream.</div><div><br /></div><div>The crostata did not hold it shape, probably because the pears were whole. But overall the flavor was great.</div>

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