The Tangy Delights Of Sour Cherry And Lemon In A Classic Italian Tart: Crostata Amalfitana
This classic Italian tart marries the vibrant flavors of sour cherries and zesty lemons in a harmonious blend that captures the essence of Campania’s rich pastry tradition. As you delve into this recipe, you’ll discover the artful combination of a tender shortcrust pastry enveloping a silky lemon-infused custard, studded with jewel-like sour cherries.
Equipment
- 1 20 cm (8 inch) springform cake pan
Ingredients
For Shortcrust Pastry:
- 200 g butter at room temperature
- 75 g icing sugar
- 40 g honey
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or baking vanilla
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 g salt
- 4 g lukewarm water
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- 300 g flour 00 or all-purpose flour
For Lemon Custard:
- 400 ml whole cow milk
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- 6 egg yolks
- 120 g granulated sugar
- 30 g corn starch
- 20 g all-purpose flour or flour 00
For Amalfi Tart:
- 160 g sour cherries or Amarena cherries in syrup
- Icing sugar
Instructions
Prepare the shortcrust pastry:
- Mash the soft but still firm butter in a bowl until creamy, using a fork.
- Add the sugar, honey, vanilla and egg yolk to the bowl. Mix everything together continuously with the fork.
- Add the salt into the small amount of lukewarm water, and stir with a spoon, making sure it dissolves completely.
- Add the salt solution, lemon zest, and sifted flour to the bowl. Begin mixing with the fork and then switch to using hands. Knead the mixture quickly, taking care not to overheat the dough. The dough is ready when hands stay clean.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead 8–10 times, just until the dough comes together.
- Flatten the dough with hands, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.
Prepare the lemon custard:
- Place a medium bowl in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- Bring milk and lemon zest in a saucepan to a boil.
- In a large bowl, mix the egg yolks, sugar, and sifted flours with a hand whisk until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the milk through a strainer into the bowl little by little, mixing after every addition.
- Transfer the mixture to the saucepan used to boil the milk. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk.
- When the lemon custard thickens, transfer to the cold bowl to cool quickly. Continue stirring until the temperature reaches 50 °C (122 °F), below the cooking point. You can check the temperature with a kitchen thermometer, or mix for 5 minutes while letting the cream cool.
- Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent skin formation and let cool completely.
Assemble the tart:
- Allow the chilled dough to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, then start assembly.
- On a floured surface, roll the dough to 7-8 millimeters thickness and use a 20 cm diameter springform pan to trace a circle. Lay the circle in the buttered and floured cake pan.
- Form the remaining dough into a cylinder along the cake pan edges to cover well. Prick the edges with a knife tip to form patterns, and the bottom to prevent swelling during cooking. Refrigerate the remaining dough until ready to cut strips.
- Add half the sour cherries, drained of syrup, to the bottom. Add the custard and remaining cherries, some on the surface and others slightly deeper.
- Roll the remaining pastry to 3 mm thickness and cut 1.5 cm strips to arrange in diamonds on the tart, removing excess edges with a knife.
- Bake in the preheated static oven at 175 °C (347 °F) for about 45 minutes until golden brown.
- Let the tart cool in the pan for 1 hour, then turn out and cool completely at room temperature for 5 hours.
- Dust with icing sugar only when completely cold and enjoy your Crostata Amalfitana!