Crostata di Marmellata (Italian Jam Tart)
This crostata di marmellata (Italian jam tart) has a tender, buttery crust and a sweet and flavorful apricot jam filling. For ease, this recipe uses good 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.
Servings 12 servings
Equipment
- round tart pan 9.5 inches (24 cm)
Ingredients
- 170 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- lemon zest from 1 lemon
- 300 grams all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt Diamond Crystal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 370 grams apricot jam or other flavor
- 30 grams powdered sugar for dusting
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 unsalted butter, 100 grams granulated sugar, lemon zest
- 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 all purpose flour, 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.
Tart Base
- 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 base in refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Combine scraps with remaining third of dough. Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment. Place on a sheet pan and chill in the refrigerator as well.
Lattice Top
- Remove the remaining ⅓ 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 (~2 cm) wide strips. Place the sheet pan of strips back in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the filling
Crostata Assembly
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 Celsius, Gas mark 4).
- Remove the lattice strips and the chilled tart base from the refrigerator.
- Spoon the jam into the tart shell and smooth the filling.370 grams apricot jam
- Lattice base layer: Place half of the lattice strips on the tart in one direction, spacing them ¾-inch (~2 cm) apart. Gently press the ends onto the tart base to seal them.
- Place the remaining strips on top at an angle to the base strips to create an X shape. The holes between the strips should resemble diamonds. Once the full pattern is in place, use a knife to trim the overhanging ends.
- Place the entire assembled tart in the freezer for 10 minutes. This ensures the dough is very cold before baking. Make sure the tart is level!
Bake and Serve
- Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake for 32-34 minutes, until the crust and lattice are golden brown and the jam is bubbling. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- For clean slices, refrigerate the tart for at least 1 hour before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar directly before serving.30 grams powdered sugar
Notes
- Tart dough -When working with the dough, if it ever feels too soft, simply place it back in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes to chill before moving on to the next step. Working with cool (but not completely stiff) dough makes assembling this tart so much easier!
- Other jam flavors - While apricot is the most traditional flavor of jam for an Italian crostata recipe, feel free to substitute any good quality jam in your pantry or fridge, whether store bought or homemade.
- Jam quantity - This recipe calls for 370 grams (13 ounces) of jam. It's flexible, so you can easily use anywhere between 340-450 grams (12-16 ounces) depending on the jam you have available.
- Slicing - The jam filling is easiest to slice cleanly when chilled. Chill in the refrigerator until closer to serving time, but give the crust about 20-30 minutes to warm up for best flavor.
- Store: Keep this tart (well wrapped) in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: To freeze leftovers, wrap with plastic wrap and place in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, remove plastic wrap to avoid condensation making the crust soggy. Defrost in the refrigerator prior to serving.