Crostata di nonna
While out on a day trip to Chiusi to visit their Etruscan museum we picked up some lunch at a little shop filled with homemade goodies. Among the temptations were porchetta style duck, veal and rice suppli (aka arancini), amazing cantuccini and the last few pieces of crostata di nonna. The lure of a creamy vanilla custard with toasted pine nuts on top along with the assurance that it was the owner’s nonna’s recipe sold me and the last big slice went in the bag.
Most Italian desserts are not too sweet, just pleasantly dolce, which for me is great because I am not a huge fan of desserts that leave your ears ringing as you slip into a diabetic coma. Simplicity again wins the day with simple flavours of lemony custard, creamy ricotta and subtle pine nuts. A dessert that begs to be paired with a nice Vin Santo or to finish the bottle of wine from dinner.
So here is my adapted recipe that I think is almost dead on to what we had in Chiusi. The crust is a staple crostata crust that can be used for other tarts and is more cookie like than pastry. The filling relies on ricotta and a simple custard that is enhanced by lemon zest and a bit of booze and then top with a garnish of toasted pine nuts. I hope you like my ode to nonna’s crostata.
- For the crust
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/3 cup cold butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- Scant 1/4 cup of cold water
- For the filling
- 1 cup of milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Dash of vanilla extract or 1/2 a vanilla bean scraped
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 250 grams fresh ricotta
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 1 Tbsp honey
- Splash of rum or Vin Santo (optional)
- 2 egg whites, slightly beaten
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- Mix the flour and sugar together in a mixing bowl.
- Cut in the butter until it resembles coarse sand.
- Mix in the egg yolks and then enough of the cold water to bring the dough together.
- Knead the dough about ten times so you will be able to roll it out and then wrap it and let it rest in the refrigerator.
- Start with the custard by mixing together the milk, yolks, cornstarch, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest in a small pot.
- Whisk them well to combine everything completely and then bring up to temperature over a low flame until it thickens, do not let it boil.
- Remove it from the heat and let it cool.
- When cool, quickly whisk in the ricotta, icing sugar, honey, booze and egg whites.
- Using a well buttered and floured eight inch tart pan, roll out the dough to about a 1/4 inch thick on a floured board and press into the pan.
- If the dough breaks it can easily be repaired by pressing in a patch with your fingers.
- Pour the filling in until it almost reaches the top and then carefully move it to the middle rack of a preheated 350 degree oven.
- During the first part of its baking, toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan until just golden.
- After 15 minutes in the oven carefully slide the baking crostata half way out of the oven and sprinkle the pine nuts over the top.
- Close up the oven again and continue baking until the filling is golden around the edges and has set in the middle, about 30 to 40 minutes in total.
- When finished let the crostata cool before cutting and dust it with icing sugar if you wish.
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