Wake and Bake: Raspberry Jam Crostata

February 24, 2014

From Sweets

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[Photographs: Carrie Vasios Mullins]

You guys are probably sick of me talking about how much I love jam. That’s why I’ve waited so long to share this recipe with you. It’s one of my favorites, and I know that if you eat it you’ll forget that a jam-crazy person told you to try it. You’ll realize that it’s worthy of anyone’s repertoire, fanatic or not.

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The crust is a pasta frolla crust that I adapted a long time ago from the amazing pastry chef Gina DePalma. It’s essentially an Italian short crust pastry given some extra tasting points thanks to the generous hit of lemon zest. In addition to being flakey, sweet, and buttery, it’s super simple. You can make it in the food processor and press it into the tart pan with your hands.

And yes, the tart is filled with jam, nothing but glorious jam. You can use any brand you like, just make sure you really, truly like it, as it’s the major flavoring to the tart. I used raspberry to make it a sort of homage to Linzer cookies, but in the dead of winter, bright citrus marmalades or summery blueberry jams would also be nice.

As the tart bakes, the jam sets up. That makes it easy to slice when it’s cooled, and it makes a great take-along treat to a picnic or, as the season might call for, a potluck indoors.

About the author: Carrie Vasios Mullins is the editor of Serious Eats: Sweets. She likes to peruse her large collection of cookbooks while eating jam from the jar. You can follow her on Twitter @carrievasios

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