A Single Serve Berry Crostata Recipe

Here’s the last of the single serve recipes you didn’t know you needed.  So far we’ve made a single cinnamon roll, two giant chocolate chip cookies, and two lemon poppy seed muffins.  Last weekend while visiting my parents in Los Angeles my very own mother said, “I don’t get these single recipes,” and fair enough mom – fair enough.  She’s a double-batch, store-in-the-freezer mother and I respect it.  BUT there’s something rather luxurious about taking the time to make something singular and special just for yourself.  This is a little bit of self care and today’s bit of care takes the form of one single berry crostata.

As always, you can double this recipe for you and your babe or you can make this whole dang pie and live your very best life.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this single serve Berry Crostata:

•  all-purpose flour

•  cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

•  granulated sugar

•  kosher salt

•  cornstarch

•  cold buttermilk (or ice water in a pinch)

•  a spritz of lemon juice (and lemon zest for extra credit)

•  blueberries and raspberries or any fruit you prefer. Peach and blackberry is another nice combination!

•  turbinado sugar (but only if you have it in the pantry, a sprinkle of granulated sugar will work just as well)

We’ve made pie crust loads of times over the years, but if this is your first rodeo, here’s how to make pie crust by hand.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.  Use a pastry blender or your fingers to work cold butter into the dry ingredients making a crumbly dough with butter chunks the size of small peas and oat flakes.

Make a well in the center of the buttery mixture and add a few tablespoons of buttermilk.  (And if you don’t have buttermilk, I get it – here are a few easy ways to make quick buttermilk substitutes or you can add 2 tablespoons of ice water in place of dairy.)

Combine the little pie dough ball into a shaggy but moist and cohesive disk.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or so.  I usually leave pie crust to rest in the refrigerator for an hour but I feel like a single-serve recipe is also about urgency so we’re rushing the process along a bit.

While the crust has its little chill moment, whip up the berry mixture.  In a small bowl toss together fruit, sugar, cornstarch, and a little squeeze of lemon.  The cornstarch and sugar will all dissolve in the oven so don’t worry if they don’t completely dissolve.

Roll chilled crust on a lightly floured surface to a thick 1/4-inch round.  Place the little dough round on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and spoon the fruit into the center of the dough round.

Fold the dough edges up and around the fruit, creating a nice little pocket filled with fruit.  Instead of egg wash we’ll brush the outside of the crust with buttermilk or any dairy you have on hand.  There’s no need to crack a whole egg for this little crostata baby.

Sprinkle with sugar and bake in the upper third of the oven until golden brown and bubbling.  The cornstarch will thicken the berry juice as it bubbles so make sure the juices come to a bubble before removing the pastry from the oven.

Top the warm tart with vanilla ice cream or lightly whipped cream.  Please please please enjoy this berry crostata while it’s still warm (just after it stopped bubbling for me), and sitting down at your kitchen counter (though I have the worst habit of eating standing over the sink).  This is a perfect little moment.

Happy Micro-Batch Baking from me to you.

Now, if you’re in the mood for more (larger) summer pie ideas:

My Favorite Strawberry Crumble Pie

Fried Blueberry Handpies

Tomato Pie with Blue Cheese Biscuits 

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