Candied Fruitcake
Kay Rentschler
67 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
67
1 1/2 hours, plus 6 hours' macerating
Updated May 3, 2024
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Place oven rack in lowest position, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Place large pizza stone on rack, and heat 1 hour while preparing other ingredients. Cut 6 sheets of aluminum foil, each one 8 inches square, and set aside.
Make the crust: Combine flours, sugar and salt in food processor, and pulse to combine. Remove lid, scatter butter over surface of flour and pulse until butter pieces are no longer visible, 10 pulses of 10 seconds or so each. Turn mixture into mixing bowl, and sprinkle with 4 tablespoons ice water. Toss lightly with fingertips. Gather dough together, and squeeze a small portion with fingers. If dough feels dry, add another tablespoon water, and toss to combine. Turn dough onto work surface, press together firmly and pat into round disk. Cut into 6 wedges. Roll each wedge into a ball, flatten slightly and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, and up to 24 hours.
Make the curd: Place small, conical stainless-steel strainer over 2-cup glass measuring cup, and set aside. In small, heavy nonreactive saucepan, whisk egg, yolks and sugar together. Add lemon juice, and whisk to combine. Add zest, butter and salt. Place pan over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until mixture is shiny, opaque and thick enough to coat back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Do not boil. Remove from heat, and stir in cream. Strain immediately into glass measuring cup, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Make the blueberry filling: Place half the blueberries in medium saucepan. Add cornstarch and sugar, and stir well. Add lemon juice and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until blueberries give up juices, thicken and simmer a bit. Compote will be very thick. Remove from heat, and stir in remaining blueberries. Cool.
Assemble the crostata: Working 1 piece of dough at a time, flour top and bottom lightly, and roll into thin 8-inch round. Transfer round to a square of foil. Spoon 1½ to 2 tablespoons of desired filling in center, leaving 2-inch periphery free. Mound fruit in a circle. (Be sure to use all the filling in the 6 crostatas.) Fold dough over to support filling. Place crostata on sheet pan in refrigerator, and continue forming tarts with remaining dough pieces and fruit filling. Refrigerate all 6 crostatas at least 20 minutes.
Slide 2 or 3 crostatas onto baking stone. Bake until dough is dark golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove, and cool 10 minutes on rack. Repeat with remaining crostatas. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, or add a dollop of whipped cream or a few tablespoons of chilled heavy cream. Serve.
I checked the original article, and it says "Spoon 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons curd in center, leaving 2 inch periphery free."
"Spoon 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of desired filling in center, leaving 2-inch periphery free. Mound fruit in a circle." Does this mean that you put the lemon curd in the center and then put the compote on top? Or do you combine the curd and the compote and spoon it onto the pastry at once?
I made this yesterday for pi day, and it was wonderful. However, after about 15 minutes, smoke began to pour out of the oven, setting off the smoke alarm. (At, least we know that works.) The pizza stone is a mess. Next time, I would make a rustic pie and bake it on a rimmed baking sheet.
Made with lemon curd and raspberries. Good, but not the best crostata I've made. I had pastry flour of uncertain provenance in my refrigerator. Perhaps it wasn't the right kind, but the pastry was a bit dry. Also, the pastry recipe did not make as many tarts as the recipe said: I got 4 tarts instead of six.
Blueberrys isn’t the only kind of berry that you can use. Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, whatever kind of berry that you like does’t matter.
The directions regarding the filling are very confusing! When she states "add desired filling" it implies that you chose the curd or the blueberry filling. Or it could mean add the curd then the blueberry filling. The picture only shows the blueberry filling. It would be easy for the writer to sort this out.
I give this 5 stars. Fantastic. I discovered a couple of jars of lemon curd after we moved into a new house last month, so I 'cheated' by using that instead of the curd in the recipe here. I had some issues cutting the dough into 6 equal wedges, so I used my scale. Easy. And at the last minute a guest said he couldn't have blueberries, and I swapped in strawberries for some. Made strawberry compote with cornstarch and sugar and swapped kirsch for lemon juice. Both are winners. Thank you
Do you fold the foil over with the pastry dough to contain the filling and then bake with the foil on? Or does the foil stay flat and not get scrunched up with the dough?
The instructions for assembling the crostatas, as others have mentioned, leave a lot to be desired. I decided to make only one large crostata, and, despite a couple rookie mistakes, it turned out really well. (If you are going to do this, you must plan ahead for how you’ll get the crostata onto the hot baking stone.) In fact, two friends who don’t like traditional pie crust loved this crust. The lemon curd and fruit compote portions of this recipe are delicious and can be used on their own.
Made for birthday special treat, got a little confused on curd placement then fruit...seems pizza stone is key!!
This blueberry filling is so easy and perfect for small store bought tarts and lemon curd or Petit pot vanilla french pudding. “Leaving a periphery” is feckless with small tart shells; just put a dollop on top before baking.
Don't make this. The proportions and timing are all wrong. Find a different blueberry galette. It will never, ever look like the photo.
This was fiddly for a mediocre result.
The "filling" recipe was not well organized and had to follow instructions in the order of ingredients. Recommend the curd and the blackberry compote be listed separately in ingredients. Devastating process. It didn't stand up despite ++ attempts, had to be placed in BOWL in the fridge so the contents would not swim out. 20 minutes later? crostata still in the oven and not cooked & rolling like a tsunami over the edges.... despite HOUR @450* preheat.
I made this yesterday for pi day, and it was wonderful. However, after about 15 minutes, smoke began to pour out of the oven, setting off the smoke alarm. (At, least we know that works.) The pizza stone is a mess. Next time, I would make a rustic pie and bake it on a rimmed baking sheet.
Too fussy and complicated. The lemon curd was excellent, however. Having the oven on at 450 for an hour ahead of time is just too hot for a summer dessert.
"Spoon 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of desired filling in center, leaving 2-inch periphery free. Mound fruit in a circle." Does this mean that you put the lemon curd in the center and then put the compote on top? Or do you combine the curd and the compote and spoon it onto the pastry at once?
I checked the original article, and it says "Spoon 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons curd in center, leaving 2 inch periphery free."
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