This crostata alla Nutella (Italian Nutella tart) has a tender, buttery crust and a rich, chocolate hazelnut filling. The shortcrust pastry dough, pasta frolla, comes together easily and the creamy chocolate filling has only 3 ingredients.It's perfect for a coffee treat, an after school snack (like in Italy!) or a special dessert.
10grams (2 Tablespoons)cocoa powder, for dusting on border 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.
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.
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 leftover tart scraps with remaining ⅓ of dough.
Roll out the remaining dough to a similar size between two sheets of parchment. Place on a sheet pan and chill in the refrigerator as well.
Nutella Filling
In a small sauce pot (or a microwave safe bowl), heat the cream and melt the butter. Cream should just begin to bubble at the edges. Do not boil. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for a bit.
125 mL (½ cup) heavy cream, 28 grams (2 Tablespoons) unsalted butter
In a medium bowl, measure out Nutella. Add (warm, not hot) cream and butter mixture. Whisk slowly (and patiently!) until cream fully incorporates into the chocolate mixture. It will take time, but eventually it will come together in a smooth mixture and thicken somewhat.
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 chocolate mixture 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 (make sure it's level!) in fridge to chill for 30-60 minutes. This will ensure the dough is cold before baking.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until lattice and crust are very lightly golden brown. Place on a baking rack to fully cool.
Once cool, refrigerate tart for one hour prior to serving in order to slice cleanly. Sprinkle with cocoa powder directly before serving.
10 grams (2 Tablespoons) cocoa powder, for dusting on border of baked crostata