This crostata di marmellata (Italian jam tart) has a tender, buttery crust and a sweet and flavorful apricot jam filling. For ease, I've chosen to use high quality store bought jam, but you can certainly use homemade jam or preserves if you have some! The tart is topped with a simple lattice design. No intricate weaving required.
Crostata di marmellata is a traditional rustic dessert made throughout Italy. The shortcrust pastry dough (pasta frolla in Italian) is made with baking powder for a light and slightly soft texture. Pasta frolla is a sweet and buttery dough that is a staple in Italian baking.
I've used it in this pasta frola, an Argentine tart made with quince paste, and also to create these rich filled Nutella biscuits. It's a wonderfully easy dough to mix up, and handles beautifully.
A crostata di marmellata recipe usually features a filling of homemade jam made from the season's latest abundance, whether apricots, peaches, cherries, plums, or a myriad of other options.
Since this is a recipe that can be baked year-round, I opted to use a good quality jam from the store. If possible, choose one with a limited amount of ingredients (fruit, sugar, pectin, and citric acid or lemon juice) and less sugar.
If you're in need of a visually enticing, no fuss recipe for a coffee get-together or dinner party, look no further than this easy jam tart!
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter - Using unsalted butter allows you to control the total quantity of salt in the recipe. Salt content in salted butter varies from brand to brand.
- Granulated sugar - For sweetness, and to help the crust brown.
- Lemon zest - Zest provides a wonderful, bright citrus flavor and aroma. It smells so good when it's baking!
- All purpose flour - Flour binds the dough together.
- Kosher salt - For added flavor.
- Baking powder - For leavening, giving the dough a softer, lighter texture.
- Eggs - One whole egg plus an egg yolk serve as a binder and add fat and flavor to the dough.
- Apricot jam - For ease, this recipe calls for high quality store bought jam. If you have homemade jam, feel free to use it here! The jar I purchased contained 370 grams (13 ounces), but you could easily use up to 450 grams (16 ounces).
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Learn how to make crostata di marmellata! All you need is pasta frolla dough and a jar of jam. These photos will walk you through the process. See the recipe card for detailed instructions.
To make the dough, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until well combined. Scrape down sides of the bowl. Add lemon zest and mix again.
Add flour, salt and baking powder. Mix on medium low speed until mixture resembles fine sand.
Add egg and egg yolk. Mix on low speed just until mixture comes together. Do not over mix.
Gather dough into a rectangle. Separate the dough into two uneven portions - one should be ⅔ of the dough, and the other should be ⅓. Flatten each dough piece into a round disc.
Roll out the larger piece of dough between two pieces of parchment paper. It should be about ⅛" thick.
Carefully flip the dough upside down onto the tart pan. If any cracks or tears occur, patch with extra dough scraps. Press dough to ensure no air pockets remain between dough and pan.
Trim excess dough from the edge of the tart pan with a knife held parallel to your work surface. Place tart pan in refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
Combine scraps with remaining ⅓ of dough. Roll dough to ⅛" thick between two sheets of parchment. Place on a sheet pan and chill in refrigerator. After chilling, use a ruler and sharp knife or fluted pastry wheel to cut the dough into long ¾ inch wide strips. Place back on sheet pan into refrigerator to chill.
Spoon the jam into the chilled tart shell and use a mini offset spatula or the back of a spoon to level and smooth the filling.
Place half of the lattice strips on the tart in one direction, spacing them ¾ inch apart (the same width as the lattice). Press down gently on the edges to seal them. Place the top layer of lattice strips at an angle to the bottom layer of strips to create an X shape. The holes between the lattice strips should resemble diamonds. Use a knife to trim the ends that overhang.
Place tart in freezer to chill for 10 minutes.
Bake for 32-34 minutes, until lattice and crust are golden brown and jam in middle of tart is bubbling. Place on a baking rack to fully cool.
Refrigerate tart for one hour prior to serving in order to slice cleanly. Sprinkle with powdered sugar directly before serving.
Hints: When working with dough for lattice, make sure you chill the dough well first. Cut the lattice strips after you chill the rolled out dough, and then place back into the refrigerator again until cool.
If the lattice strips become too pliable as you are placing them on the crostata, pop them back in the fridge again for a few minutes.
Chill the fully assembled crostata alla marmellata for at least 10 minutes (I put it in the freezer) before baking to ensure the butter in the dough is cold.
Variations
Give these variations and serving suggestions a try.
- Other jam flavors - While apricot is the most traditional flavor of jam for Italian crostata di marmellata, feel free to substitute any good quality jam in your pantry or fridge, whether store bought or homemade.
- Reduced sweetness - If you are concerned that the apricot jam alone will be too sweet for your palate, consider substituting ⅓ of the apricot jam with orange marmalade. The tart orange flavor of the marmalade will help temper the sweetness of the apricot jam.
- Citrus zest - Pair the zest in the pasta frolla dough with the flavor of the jam. You might try lime zest with strawberry jam, lemon zest with blackberry or raspberry jam, or orange zest with plum or fig jam.
- Spiced crust - Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of spices to the dough (when you add the flour) to compliment the jam. Check here for a great list of flavors to pair with different fruits. For example, apricot jam might pair well with cinnamon and ginger, while cardamom and nutmeg would complement blueberry jam.
Equipment
Items below contain affiliate links.
For my tart recipes, I use this nonstick carbon steel tart pan with a removable base.
A half sheet baking pan (18 x 13 inches) keeps the base of the tart from browning too quickly and catches any drips or spills. Sometimes a bit of butter leaks from the bottom of the tart. Save yourself the work of cleaning the oven and use a baking sheet underneath!
Parchment paper is great for lining the baking pan. The cookies won't stick at all if you use parchment underneath. One roll of this 15 inch x 164 foot (38 centimeter x 50 meter) non-stick paper lasts a LONG time! If you have access to a Costco store, the price is often a bit better.
A pastry wheel makes cutting lattice strips easy. It has two wheels with both a plain side and a fluted side. The fluted side makes the pretty scalloped edge you see on the lattice in this recipe.
Storage
This apricot jam tart is easiest to slice when chilled. Chill in the refrigerator until serving.
Store this tart (well wrapped) in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To freeze leftovers, wrap with plastic wrap and place in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, unwrap to avoid condensation making the crust soggy. Defrost in the refrigerator prior to serving.
FAQ
This recipe calls for 370 grams of apricot jam, or 13 ounces. It's flexible, so you could easily use 340 grams (12 ounces) or 400 grams (14 ounces) if you have slightly more or less jam available.
The crostata bakes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177° Celsius, Gas mark 4).
At 350 degrees Fahrenheit, the apricot crostata bakes for 32-34 minutes on the center rack of the oven.
📖 Recipe
Crostata di Marmellata (Italian Jam Tart)
Print Recipe Pin RecipeINGREDIENTS
Pasta Frola Dough
- 170 grams (6 ounces, 12 Tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 100 grams (½ cup) granulated sugar
- zest of 1 lemon
- 300 grams 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 grams ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
Jam Filling
- 370 grams (13 oz) apricot jam (or other flavor)
Decoration
- 30 grams (¼ cup) powdered sugar, for dusting on top of baked crostata
INSTRUCTIONS
Pasta Frola Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add lemon zest and mix again.170 grams (6 ounces, 12 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, 100 grams (½ cup) granulated sugar, zest of 1 lemon
- Add flour, salt and baking powder. Mix on medium low speed until mixture resembles fine sand. Scrape down the bowl several times to ensure no large pieces of butter remain.300 grams 2½ cups all purpose flour, 2 grams ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Add egg and egg yolk. Mix on low speed just until mixture comes together. Do not over mix.1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk
- Gather dough into a rectangle. Separate the dough into two uneven portions - one should be ⅔ of the dough, and the other should be ⅓. Flatten each dough piece into a round disc.
- Roll out the larger piece of dough between two pieces of parchment paper (or a lightly floured surface, if you don't have parchment). It should be about ⅛" thick and the circle should be an inch wider than your tart pan on each side. Peel the parchment off of the top, and then replace. Flip the dough over while still sandwiched between parchment layers. Peel off the second parchment layer and discard.
- Carefully flip the dough upside down onto the tart pan. If any cracks or tears occur, patch with extra dough scraps. Press dough to ensure no air pockets remain between dough and pan.
- Trim excess dough from the edge of the tart pan with a knife held parallel to your work surface. Place tart pan in refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes. Combine scraps with remaining ⅓ of dough.
- Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment. Place on a sheet pan and chill in the refrigerator as well.
Crostata Assembly
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 Celsius, Gas mark 4).
- Remove the remaining sheet of dough from the refrigerator. Loosen both layers of parchment paper, but keep the dough on a parchment base. Using a ruler and a sharp knife, cut the dough into long ¾ inch wide strips. Place back on sheet pan into refrigerator to chill.
- Spoon the jam into the chilled tart shell and use a mini offset spatula or the back of a spoon to level and smooth the filling.370 grams (13 oz) apricot jam (or other flavor)
- Place half of the lattice strips on the tart in one direction, spacing them ¾ inch apart (the same width as the lattice). Press down gently on the edges to seal them. Place the top layer of lattice strips at an angle to the bottom layer of strips to create an X shape. The holes between the lattice strips should resemble diamonds. Use a knife to trim the ends that overhang.
- Place tart (make sure it's level!) in freezer to chill for 10 minutes. This will ensure the dough is cold before baking.
- Bake for 32-34 minutes, until lattice and crust are golden brown and jam in middle of tart is bubbling. Place on a baking rack to fully cool.
- Refrigerate tart for one hour prior to serving in order to slice cleanly. Sprinkle with powdered sugar directly before serving.30 grams (¼ cup) powdered sugar, for dusting on top of baked crostata
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