These are my Mom’s hands. They’re two parts lady lumber jack, one part awesome raiser of children, and three parts amazing gardener. That’s six parts total. Arbitrary… I know.
I love Mom hands… they tend to have super knowledge.
I taught my mamabear how to make Apricot Crostatas. Pie dough. Egg wash. Wait. Not so much egg wash. Fruit. Fold. That’s basically how to lesson went.
What. Back up. What the heck is a Crostata? I’m glad you asked. Crostatas are like free form fruit pies… pies without the limitations of a pie tin. I like to make a mini version of a crostata because… I’m greedy and I don’t like to share. Also… eating six mini crostatas is easier on the guilt brain that eating and entire regular sized crostata. Been there. Done it. Whateves.
Come on… let’s bake fruit things.
Let’s start with pie dough. Please don’t freak out. It’s just butter and flour and water… you can totally do this.
With your fingers break up the cold (frozen, even) fat chunks into the flour and sugar mixture. Don’t be shy… really get in there. You’ll get to about this point in the dough making process…
That wasn’t so bad, now was it? Now we need to add the cold cold cold water.
Theme? Everything has to be cold here. Ok.. not the flour, salt and sugar… but everything else. The cold will keep the fat from completely incorporating into the dough. You want little buttery fat pockets. That’s what makes pie crust so freakin’ flaky.
Add cold water to the butter and flour mixture. Work it together with a fork until all of the ingredients have been moistened.
Moistened is a weird word.
Dump the dough, in a shaggy mess, onto the counter. Work it together with your hands. Once it forms a rough ball, smash it slightly with the heal of your hand… just cause it feels good… and because you’re the boss of the dough. So there.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to rest for at least an hour.
This is important… it allows the gluten to relax, the fat to re-chill and the moisture to mellow into the dough.
These are pretty. These apricots are sexy. Slice them up and they’re ready for crostatas. Feel free to use fresh raspberries or blueberries. Blackberries are rad. Avoid strawberries and bananas… no good.. moisture issues.
Pits. It’s only natural.
Once the dough is properly chilled, divide it into eight or sixteen pieces. Depending on whether or not you doubled the recipe.
Roll the dough pieces out into circles. Not perfect circles. Kinda-sorta circles is good enough.
We’re going to use egg wash two times in this whole situation. Before we add the fruit, and just before the crostatas go in the oven. Egg wash is a beaten egg with a splash of milk. Sweet.
Brush the dough circle lightly with egg wash.
Ok… that’s a little heavy handed with the wash… but it’s ok.
Pile on the sliced apricots. I think we used about 4 to 6 apricot wedges per crostata.
Carefully fold the dough up and around the fruit. The egg wash will help the dough stick to itself.
Pile the crostatas onto a baking sheet and chill for an hour before baking. Do note… this isn’t how we bake the crostatas. We’ll put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and spread them out more. It’ll work out better that way.
Apricot Crostatas
makes 8 crostatas
pie dough recipe from Dorie Greenspan
For the dough:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks very cold (frozen is fine) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
2 1/2 tablespoons very cold (frozen is even better) vegetable shortening (non-trans fat), cut into 2 pieces
About 1/4 cup ice water
For the filling:
12 to 15 ripe apricots, each sliced into 6 wedges
2 eggs plus 2 Tablespoons of milk for egg wash
3/4 cup of sugar for coating crostatas.
Put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse just to combine the ingredients. Drop in the butter and shortening and pulse only until the butter and shortening are cut into the flour. Don’t overdo the mixing—
what you’re aiming for is to have pieces the size of fat green peas and others the size of barley. Pulsing the machine on and off, add 3 tablespoons of the water at a time.
Add a little water and pulse once; add some more water and pulse again; and keep going that way. Then use a few long pulses to get the water into the flour. If after a dozen or so pulses, the dough doesn’t look evenly moistened or form soft curds, pulse in as much of the remaining water, or even a few drops more, to get a dough that will stick together when pinched. If you’ve got big pieces of butter, that’s fine. The dough is ready and should be scraped out of the work bowl and on to a smooth work surface.
If you don’t want to bother with a food processor, this dough can easily be made with your two hands to break up the butter and shortening in the flour, and a fork to incorporate the cold water.
Shape the dough into a disk and wrap it. Refrigerate the dough at least 1 hour before rolling. The dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
Once the dough is chilled, remove from the fridge, cut into eight approximately even pieces. Roll each piece out into a rough circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Brush lightly with egg wash. Pile in 4-6 apricot wedges and carefully fold the dough around the fruit, using the egg wash as a glue. Once all eight of the crostatas are complete, place in the fridge to chill for an hour before baking.
While the crostatas chill, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Spread the crostatas out between the baking sheets and brush with egg wash. Sprinkle generously with sugar, both inside the crostata and on the egg washed pie dough. Don’t be shy with the sugar, but you may want to sample an apricot slice before baking to see just how sweet they are. That will help with your sugar dispensing.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the dough has puffed slightly and browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the baking sheet. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Lori
Be still my heart! Someone else who admits to eating an entire crostata…lol. Mini ones? Perfetto! I am going to do that. Like you said, it’s lessens the guilt:-)
Debbie
These looks delish, I am however very lazy, would if work with the refridgerated pie crusts? how many do you think it would make??
Thanks , love your site
Mardi@eatlivetravelwrite
I love your mum’s hands too! I used Dorie’s and your recipes to make mini-apple and cranberry crostatas for Daring Bakers. Thanks for the inspiration!
http://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/2010/11/daring-bakers-november-crostata/
Jennifer
Has anyone tried a gluten free version?
Ashley
Just made these today – they were delish! I had no apricots, so instead used peaches and nectarines, and they were great! The pastry is THE BEST! Thanks Joy!
Leader
?¯?¯??????
i’m hungry now~~~~
Avanika (Yumsilicious Bakes)
Ahh yummy!!! This looks delicious. Is the dough the same as the one for pies?
Shiloh Mae
My raspberry crostatas are in the oven! I’ve been excited about making these for about a week.
Suzie the Foodie
What an amazing blog you have and I love your Mom’s hands too!
Ezzy
Joy, this is awesome. I wish I can try it.
T
Joy, this is wonderful. Thank you. I messed up the crust. It was too wet for rolling. Instead of throwing the whole thing out and starting from scratch, I mashed the crust dough it into cupcake cups and put the filling on top (peaches and cardomom). Not bad. The butter gave the crust a shortbread like flavor. Will still try to make the crostata crust.
Michelle
hi there joy,
do you think that pears or apples would be OK for the crostatas? and if i were to be feeling really reeeaaalllyyy lazy (like right now), could pre mad puff pastry be used?
Vanessa
These were delicious! I put apricots and blueberries in. Just like a mini pie but even tastier.
Caitlin
This is so funny – I just tried making one big blueberry/peach crostata for my parents last night and it was a hot mess! (blueberry juice everywhere) I must try again using this recipe, the mini ones seem less daunting and cuter. Thanks, Joy! LOVE your blog
Max
love your mum’s hands. they have stories to tell!
Elizabeth
I have to agree, I have envied mom hands since I was a little girl. I still look at my youthful, dare-I-say, naive hands and try to see the mom chock-full-of-knowledge hands that are only oh 30, 40 years away.
Besides for that shared love, I am also a lover of apricots and my even newer found love apriums (apricot-plums). I tried out this recipe today with the apriums and whoa! my taste buds were whipped into a tasting frenzy. Perfect morning breakfast treat, reminding me of sunshine and happiness. If only you could make this little bit o’ heaven for every person on earth one morning, world peace might actually be attainable…
Merel
At the market today I noticed some beautiful apricots. Of course, I knew exactly what to do with them! The crostatas were delicous and I will make them again very soon. Perhaps even tomorrow! Thank you!
Michelle
Do you happen to know the name of the china pattern on the plate you used?
Chelsy
Made these last night with a little ice cream on top for dessert.
YUM!!!
I’m not the most accomplished baker by any means, but these were suprisingly easy and they turned out really well. Thanks so much, my friends and I really enjoyed them!
Lauryn
These look amazing! Doing things with mom is just so fun!
Lynnette
Your mom’s hands look warm and soft- good hands. I miss my mom’s hands.
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking
Aren’t those adorable! Lovely photos and cute crostatas, Joy. They remind me of mini galettes.
Sue
Perfect recipe to try when the apricots on my tree are ready:) Pretty soon!
sharon
Hey Joy,
I love this recipe. I want to make it, like, now. The only issue is that I live in the southern hemisphere and there’s no way I’m getting my hands on an apricot anytime soon. Or a blackberry. Or a raspberry. It’s winter for us. Summer fruit’s not happening.
I was wondering if you think I could use apples in this. I can get my hands on those. They’d be more apple pie-y but single serving size. Which is nice. What do you think? Not too much moisture in an apple, right?
Thanks.
Liz
Just made these, some with peaches and some with raspberries. Although the raspberries were a tad runny (too moist?) still delightful and delicious!
Thank you for the recipe!
Lexi {lexiscafe.blogspot)
Would I be able to substitute fresh apricots for dried? I know I’d have to plump them up and everything. We have dried apricots sitting in our fridge and I need to use them up!
vanillasugar
oh joy you know there was this little farmers market that i went to and they had this apricot crumb cake with a crispy cake-like crust. i wanted to try and recreate it when i came home. so i went back the following week and the woman who sold it was not there. i am still trying to remember the crust and what to make of it. so naturally seeing this post reminded me of it. i just adore apricots with buttery crusts…
Angela (Diary of a Deaf Girl)
Yumm! I’m not a big fan of apricot, but I know that peaches would probably substitute really well. I see these being made in my very near future! Thanks for the recipe!
Susan Updike
I love your mom’s bracelet. The pies look yummy too!
CookiePie
Sooo beautiful. Love these! And love your mom’s hands too – they’re perfect mom-hands :)
bird
do you think you could sub the apricots with apples & cinnamon? and maybe a few raisins? maybe if i sautéed the apples in cinnamon and then put them in the dough?
p.s. just opened a dove chocolate and ths was my quote:
“when you give with joy, joy is your reward.” no kidding!
Rena Frey
Do you think I could make this with peaches or mangoes?
Shelly Spratt
So excited to find a yummy recipe requiring apricots!!!
Allison
I made these last night (half with apricots and half with peaches)… for an outdoor concert and YUM! They were so amazing. Thank you!
Sweets By Vicky
Delicious fruit things I must say! I love apricots but the ones I got were SOUR. gasp. Perhaps a sprinkling of sugar is all it needs before it gets snugly wrapped in buttery dough. :)
When Pigs Fly
I think it would be yummy with all the blackberries I have in my fridge!
PassionateMae
Looks yumm yumm! Will make them too!
Sarah
So what’s the difference between a crostata and a galette?
Allie
wouldn’t it be easier to roll out all the dough, and then cut rough circles/squares out? I usually just make one really big one, I love crostatas!
Noreen
Joy, thanks for being so cool!! And for kind of showing your Mom. I miss my Mom’s hands. Not much of a fruit person but those look amazing!
Nicole
Love it!!!!
Stacey
can I use thin sliced apples?
baker-me
by the way, your mom’s hands look something like my mom’s… she’s raised nine children!
baker-me
too sweet… if apricots grew in the winter(which they don’t) in Australia i would definately make these!! (i love pie dough and fruit…) ;)
Rebekah
Would this work with peaches?
Jacqui
Mom hands plus two ladies making crostatas, couldn’t be any sweeter.
Meghan
Looks very yummy!!!! I may have to try it with blackberries and peaches instead of my usual summer fruit crumble.
Katherine Deumling
I loved your description of your mom’s hands. I recently mentioned my mom’s hands in a blog post of my own http://cookwithwhatyouhave.wordpress.com/2010/05/11/garden-vs-computer/
and my mom is a lady lumberjack (forester, i guess!), and gardener and awesome raiser of children. Loved that description so much.
And the recipe sounds great.. . .
yvonne
I love that your mom is helping you. Love those hands. I think they’re gorgeous. Tell her that! :) And a gorgeous bracelet too. I want to make your recipe this week with my daughter. Special times. Thank you Joy!!!!
Kristen
These look delish!
Celia
P.S. I love your moms hands!
Celia
I would like to try making this recipe but what can I substitute the vegetable shortening with? Does margarine work?
Grace
YUM!!! This makes me want to bake these right now.
Alikat
I always get such a kick out of reading your posts. Your voice is so fantastic – thanks for brightening my day!!
Michelle
Definitely going to try this one. I love the non-fussiness of the pastry – very rustic.
That little white plate with the roses is adorable – do you happen to know the name of it?
Krista
Your Mom’s hands are beautiful. I love that picture. :-) And the little pies are darling and rustic and homey. :-)
Erika
Those look so yummy! I like “mom hands” too (and your mom’s bracelet!).
Anna
Crostatas are just divine.
Chuck some grated or cubes of marzipan amongst the fruit; that’s always a nice surprise.
I did the recipe from ‘The Pastry Queen’ and tried her suggestion for using apples – just gently fry them in butter and brown sugar, then cool them and use them in the crostatas. Nice, nice, nice.
Julie (Bananas for Bourbon)
Oh Joy, where were you 4 days ago when I had fresh apricots and no recipe! Hehe. I made an awesome brandy buttermilk upside down cake with apricots and cherries! But this looks delicious too! I’ll have to get more apricots!
Jessanna
Joy- wow, I loved the ooodles of photos this posting had! Simply adds to the illustration!
Your momma’s hands, exceptional, tell her her bracelets are a dream!
and I love that I now am more informed about ‘free form’ pie shells… I can honestly say I have been making crostata’s for years with out knowing it!
Now I can sound professional when making them;0) p.s I think poached apricot with brandy and nutmeg would be a warmth delight- mmmm
thanks for the inspiration once again!
Rose Petal
Thanks for the recipe! Been following this blog for a little while now & love it! Hi from Wales, UK!
Nicole
I’m ashamed to say that Olive Garden used to have a mixed berry crostata that I loved and while I haven’t been to the the OG in a long while, I still think about that dessert. I bet homemade crostatas must been heavenly!
tracy
reserve one for me please! I have some homemade creme fraiche we can dab on top!! nommy
zarpandit
mother’s hand is always sacred! :)What is the difference between Galette and Crostata?
Apeksha
this looks so yum! and i have just the perfect apricots for it!
Tiffany
moistened IS a weird word. gross.
i love these–i’ve tried it with berries and it’s always delicious. must try the apricots.
hope your day is wonderful!
Millys Mini Kitchen
Apricots are sexy! And yummy. This looks very nice.
Jessi
I’m finding Apricots today and making these tomorrow. It just has to happen. Now, IF I don’t find good looking apricots, can I sub with peaches? I live really near a bunch of peach groves and they’re pretty close to ready. Gosh! I hope I find pretty apricots!!
joythebaker
thinly spiced peaches sound like a dream!
Rita
The blackberry bushes near our house are already tempting me with tiny red berries just waiting to ripen. I’m so making these as soon as they do!
Hannah @ thepastrykook
i love how the crostatas are lookin! and i like how u said that apricots i sexy. hahaha
Miss Candiquik
Wow….I would love it w/ blackberries and apricots – think I will make this combination. Great photos by the way…as always, love the natural light. And if only I had one of these crostatas ready now!
Marisa
There is just something so charming about crostatas…
Susannah
Oo! Despite having read lots of items recently about how easy it is to make pie dough, for some reason, when you say it, it just clicks! Thank you so much for making baking less intimidating! I think I’m going to try this tonight with whatever fruit I find most ripe and appetizing at the store.
joythebaker
doooooo it!
alyssa
you needed to post this when i have 3 pounds of apricots in the kitchen, right? when i’ve just taken off eight pounds and need to remove four more?
Rocky Mountain Woman
I’ve been looking for a way to use up the enormous amount of apricots that I’ve inherited from my boyfriend’s tree.
Perfection!
Pollyanna
Crostata is one of my favourite Italian pastries, you can also make them flatter with a lattice top, extremely delicious. If you dont have fresh fruit, you can also use preserves, (fruit jam). Buonissimo!!!!
Italian Cooking Aventures
Hi Joy!I’m Maria, an italian girl who is a big disaster in the kitchen,I’m trying to redeem myself from this status and I want to tell you that I learn a lot from your blog, thank you for sharing your talent with us(and sorry for the bad english!)!
Maria
Katie @ Cozydelicious
I love apricots – more than candy and chocolate and even more than doritos. And these little crostatas look wonderful! So rustic yet impressive – perfect outdoor party dessert. Your pretty china plate is adorable too!
GrapeSugar
I love the visual of fresh apricots…beautiful. These look so lovely, and I love your Mom’s hands! :)
codfish
Love this post, Joy. Especially the note about strawberries because I was totally going to make them with strawberries. And now I’ll wait for the blueberries to get in season. :)
Andi
I just love crostadas! They are one of my favorite summer desserts. The beauty of them is being able to use any fruit that’s in season and every time you’ll have a winner! I especially love using apples (in the fall) and any type of berry that’s available. A simple dessert that tastes elegant.
DessertForTwo
What do you do with so many crostats in your house? These look beautiful! Happy Monday :)
Rachel in Italy
Any thoughts on how this would work with cherries? The market down the street has some gorgeous ones right now and I was just saying that I needed to make something with them…
joythebaker
i’ve never tried this recipe with cherries. i’m not sure. what if the cherry were mixed with another fruit? cherry blueberry?
take a megabite
Cutest pies ever. I love baking with my mom. When she comes to visit we always find a tough recipe to tackle. Yay moms!
Akinaj
Those look amazing!
I bet they’d be heaven with plums, too. And maybe with a hint of cinnamon or hazelnuts in the pastry? Unless there’s moisture issues with plums? What do you think?
joythebaker
i’ve never tried this recipe with plums. could be lovely.
Akinaj
Hm, I’ll give it a try later in the year when they’re in season, then.
Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday
I have to admit that pie crust makes me nervous :S
Jessie @ simplysifted
Baking with your Mom – I’m jealous! I wish my Mom lived closer so we could cook together more often. I love that I’m finally at the point where I can teach *her* some things.
Liz Brooks
Sounds delish-can’t wait to try out. I’m thinking apples too!
Angelique
(im allergic to apricots)
Angelique
would I be able to use these with apples or another fruit?
The Purple Foodie
I love this! Good tip about using egg wash..
Katrina
If I could make anything in the blog world right now it would be these. This is the type of recipe that’s good for everyone! Thanks joy!!
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is
Those look like such a treat. I’ve never had one, but I want one now!
Wei-Wei
Thanks for the little pastry tutorial! Have you ever considered becoming a pastry chef, or writing a cookbook? I honestly think that you should. :)
Wei-Wei
joythebaker
uuhhhh.
Nisrine@Dinners and Dreams
So beautiful. Apricots are in season :)
Anne's Kitchen
Ok, it’s Monday morning, I’m in the office and I would really looooove to be anywhere but here! I have a new intern and need to train her up, I have tons of work and already had my boss nagging me about 100 things! So, now I’m going to pretend I’m in your kitchen making these amazing fruit parcels, and everything is going to be a-ok again! Happy Monday!
Silvia
So lovely, though now here it is getting too hot to bake… guess I’ll have to wait until the weather is a little bit cooler.
What about cakes baked in the microwave? Are they any good? Suggestions anyone?
Thanks
Jessie @ simplysifted
The last time I had a cake baked in the microwave I was in 7th grade home ec. class. It was not good. The texture was bad enough to make me never want to eat another one.
ruth leanne
Y U M. oh my gosh. i have to make these pie babies one day! not right now in singapore though; it’s too hot here. but i’m moving to australia when it’s spring over there. perfect.
gizelle marie
i love making these. they’re so much less pressure than crimping pretty pie edges. when people comment about the appearance i like to throw out the word “rustic.” makes ’em sound fancy.
out of curiosity- why do you chill them again before baking?
The MuffinTin Post
There’s an apricot-like fruit here in Israel that I will test out.
Christianne
OOOH! I think I will will make these for my youth group for tuesday. Also, What about apples? Or is there a moisture problem with those?