Italian Strawberry Crostata

Strawberry crostata on glass cake stand.

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This Strawberry Crostata features a buttery Italian pastry crust filled with creamy Chantilly cream and topped with fresh strawberries. An elegant and easy Italian dessert perfect for spring and summer.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Chilling Time6

Total Time7

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 568kcal

Author: Rosemary Molloy

Ingredients

PASTRY CREAM

¾ cup milk (whole or 2%)
¾ cup cream whipping/whole/heavy cream (at least 30% fat)
4 large egg yolks (room temperature)
½ cup granulated sugar or fine sugar
2½ tablespoons all purpose flour
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

CROSTATA DOUGH

1¾ cups all purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg (room temperature)
1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
½ cup + 2 tablespoons butter (room temperature) (10 tablespoons or 141 grams)

FOR THE SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM

1 cup cream whole, whipping or heavy cream at least 30% fat content
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons icing/powdered sugar (sifted)

EXTRAS

1 pound strawberries sliced (thick)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

FOR THE PASTRY CREAM

In a medium pot, heat over low the milk and cream to hot, do not boil. Remove from heat and let cool to warm.In a medium pot whisk together the yolks and sugar, add the flour and vanilla and whisk to combine.
Place the pot over low / medium heat, slowly add the warm milk/cream mixture, whisking continuously until thickened, be sure to cook until thickened or you will have a runny pastry cream. It should have a silky texture.
Pour the hot pastry cream into a heat resistant glass or ceramic bowl, cover the surface of the cream with a piece of plastic wrap (make sure wrap touches the cream mixture) and refrigerate at least 2-3 hours before using.

CROSTATA DOUGH

Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C), grease and flour an 8 inch- (20 cm) pie dish.
In a large bowl or food processor, gently whisk together flour, sugar and baking powder, create a well in the middle and add the egg and yolk and softened butter cut into pieces. Mix together, at this point turn mixture onto a slightly floured surface and work the mixture to form a soft dough (if dough is very dry then add an extra tablespoon or two of soft butter if too wet add a bit more flour, although the dough should be softer then usual).
Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove from fridge and knead the dough a couple of times to soften it up again on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough in half and roll one at a time to ⅛" thickness. Place in the tart pan.
Place in the tart pan. Prick the bottom of the crust well with a fork. Cover the bottom of the crust with parchment paper and add dried beans or pie weights on top, bake for approximately 20 minutes (if pie is not baked, then bake for an additional 5 – 10 minutes without the beans). Remove from the oven, remove the paper and beans, let cool completely before adding the filling.

FOR THE SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM/FILLING

In a large bowl beat the cream and vanilla until soft peaks form, sift in the powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the pastry cream into the whipped sweet cream until completely combined. (If you want a firmer filling see notes for adding gelatine). Cover the bowl and chill until ready to use.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Spread the whipped cream/filling in the baked cooled pie crust, top with the sliced strawberries, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 5-6 hours or overnight. Enjoy!

Notes

The pie was very creamy if you prefer a firmer filling then you can add gelatine. In a small pot add 2 tablespoons of milk and sprinkle ¾-1 tablespoon (or an envelope of knox gelatine which is almost 1 tablespoon) of gelatine on top, let stand one minute, then place the pot on low heat and heat just until the gelatine has dissolved, stirring often (1-2 minutes), do not boil, then immediately remove from heat. Add 1 -2 tablespoons of the pastry/cream mixture to the gelatine mixture and stir gently to combine, fold the gelatine into the remaining pastry/cream mixture, mix until combined.

The crostata dough recipe will make a 2 crust pie, the extra dough can be either frozen or used to make stuffed cookies.

Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days. Best served within a day or two of assembling, as the strawberries can release juices and the crust will soften over time. Do not freeze.

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