Blackberry Crostata--For Blackberry Phone Lovers

If you were looking for a Blackberry phone pictures, this is not the right place. All I can offer are those beautiful blackberry fruits and a dessert made of them.



It has been more than half a year since I posted my blackberry fruit cake and I still cannot figure out, if it is really people's favorite fruit, and the easy cake recipe that attracts them, or if they just look for information on that lovely piece of electronics. The only way to find out is to post another blackberry recipe, also quite easy, and check if that will also become a number one on my list.



Obviously this is not a season for blackberries in Washington D.C., but it is in Mexico. They arrived to my local food stores not only ripe and sweet but also cheap. So the other day I bought a couple of boxes to make a fruit tart.



Of all the cakes, tarts are among my favorite ones. I love the shortness and the crunchiness of their crust and softness of the fruit topping. I have already posted two tart recipes, but I have probably another ten in my collection. Interestingly enough, each of them is on a different crust, although they all belong to the same tart family and are made mostly from the same ingredients.



Today's cake is a typical country cake that looks a little bit rough, and is very simple, but it is very delicious. It comes from the Italian tradition, but this dough if put in a tart pan can make a perfect base for any pie. The entire dough is made in a food processor. The dough needs to be chilled and then in the simplest manner filled with fruits and baked. Because the dough is very rich in butter it needs to be baked fast in a high temperature, so the butter does not melt. Also, this will ensure that the fruits will release their juice but will still preserve their fresh taste.





Blackberry Crostata

(Serves six)



Ingredients:

2 sticks cold unsalted butter,

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour,

1/4 cup sugar,

5 tbsp ice water,

pinch of sea salt.

3 boxes blackberry.



Preparation:

1. Put flour, sugar, and salt in the food processor container.

2. Cut butter into small cubes and add it to the flour. Pulse the food processor on and off until the doughs forms into crumbles.

3. Run the food processor and add through the feed tube all the water at once.

4. Pulse it on and off until water is combined with flower but the butter still stays in sandy crumbles.

5. Place the content of the processor on a piece of plastic foil and with hands gather into one disk, about 10 inches in diameter. Cover with foil and chill, preferably over night.



To bake crostata:

1. Preheat oven to 450 F.

2. Roll out the dough on a surface sprinkled with flour into a disk of about 13 inches in diameter.

3. Transfer the dough gently into a large baking sheet.

4. Sprinkle the dough with 1 tbsp sugar and cover with blackberries, leaving about 1 and 1/2 - 2 inches edge around.

5. Cover the fruits with the edge of the crostata pinching the dough to close it around.





6. Bake the crostata for 20-30 minutes, or until gold and until fruits release a little bit of juice.



Cool it for 10 minutes, dust with confectioners sugar, and serve still warm, if you like, with a dollop of crème fraîche on top.