Jamie's jam tart

Crostata di Marmellata

Men may come and men may go.....but Pie goes on for ever. - George Augustus Sala, America Revisited, 1882

I’ve been thinking a lot about pies and tarts this week as it is International Pie Week - although I don’t quite think any of us need a special week or day to celebrate this traditional, humble treat. 

I discovered crostata - a rustic jam tart - while living in Italy. Most Italian baked goods are simple, homey, unfussy, allowing the goodness of the best quality ingredients to shine through. This is just the kind of pastry I prefer for everyday, easy to make, quick to bake, and delectable to eat while being totally uncomplicated and informal. And once I discovered this Italian jam tart, it found a permanent place in my kitchen and I’ve been making them regularly ever since, only changing the flavor of the jam depending on my cravings and mood.

The crostata is a free-form (though often made in a pie plate or tin) tart, jam, fresh fruit, or pastry cream sandwiched in between 2 layers of pasta frolla, a sweet cookie-like crust, the top in a latticework pattern. It makes a wonderful snack or breakfast treat. And when filling it with jam - of course my preferred way -  the better the quality the jam (artisan, if possible), the better your tart will taste.

The first appearance of this type of crostata appeared in Martino da Como’s Libro de Arte Coquinaria (Book on the Art of Cooking) published around 1465 and again in Bartolomeo Scappi’s Opera dell'arte del Cucinare (Work on the art of cooking) of 1570. Legend has it, though, that this tart with its beautiful latticework top crust, was first created by a Sister in the convent of San Gregorio Armeno in Naples, the lattice design based on the grill through which the cloistered sisters watched the church services.

Pasta frolla - pâte sablée in French - Is a sweet cookie-type pie or tart shortcrust that produces a very buttery, tender and crumbly crust like a butter cookie. It’s easier to make than a more traditional flaky pâte brisée in that you don’t have to worry about keeping it light so the layers that create the flakiness separate, but it is a bit harder to roll out and use because the butter-rich dough can be soft and sticky and it tears much more easily. The good news, though, is that when pasta frolla or pâte sablée breaks or tears when lifting into and lining a pie tin it can be quickly repaired by pressing it together again. 

Jamie’s Crostata di Marmellata - Jam Tart 2 versions

Pasta frolla - Pâte brisée (choose one of the recipes below)

17.6 ounces / 2 cups (500 grams) jam of your choice - the better the quality the jam (artisan, if possible), the better your tart will taste

1 tart tin or pie plate

Pasta Frolla (Sweet Pastry Dough)

I offer you the 2 different pasta frolla - pâte brisée - cookie-type tart crusts I use; the second makes more dough - although the first recipe can easily be doubled - and is lighter and more buttery making it more tender yet also a bit fussier to work with. Try them both and choose the one you like.

This is a very butter-rich pie crust and can be finicky to work with so give it time to chill and firm up in the refrigerator before attempting to roll it out. 

Recipe 1:

Single recipe for an 8-inch (20 cm) or a 9-inch (23 cm) round pie or tart tin or equivalent volume.; double the recipe for a larger plate or tin.

1 ¼ cups (175 grams) flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

⅛ teaspoon salt

¼ cup + 1 tablespoon (65 grams) sugar

8 ½ tablespoons (125 grams) unsalted butter, cool

1 large egg yolk + 3 teaspoons very cold water

Place the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk or toss to combine.

Cube the butter and toss the cubes in the dry ingredients to coat. Using the tips of your fingers and thumb, rub the butter and flour together quickly until all of the butter is blended in and there are no more lumps. 

Add the egg yolk stirred together with 3 teaspoons cold water and, using a fork, blend vigorously until all of the flour/sugar/butter mixture is moistened and starts to pull together into a dough. Add another teaspoon or two of ice water only if needed. Gather and press the dough into a rough ball.

Scrape the dough out onto a floured work surface and, using the heel of one hand, smear the dough inch by inch away from you in short, hard, quick movements; this will completely blend the butter in. Scrape up the smeared dough and, working very quickly, gently knead into a smooth, homogeneous ball, only adding a bit more flour if the dough is sticky, but not so much that the dough dries out. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes if the dough is too soft to easily roll out.

Recipe 2:

This recipe makes more dough for a 10 inch (25 cm) pie dish or tart tin or equivalent volume.

2 ½ cups (350 grams) flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder

16 tablespoons (225 grams) unsalted butter, softened 

⅖ cup (80 grams) sugar

2 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons pear eau de vie or kirsch, or why not substitute freshly squeezed orange juice

1 tablespoon fine lemon zest or 1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir the flour together with the baking powder in a small bowl. 

In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks, the eau de vie, and lemon zest or the vanilla. 

Stir the flour/baking powder into the creamed mixture and knead on a floured work surface until it forms a smooth, homogeneous dough. Keep the work surface floured enough that the dough doesn’t stick but not so much the dough dries. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 20 – 30 minutes.

Prepare the Crostata:

You will need 10 or 12 (more or less, depending on how thick you would like the jam layer) tablespoons jam, jelly or fruit butter total (can be divided into 2 or 4 flavors), up to a 2 cup (500 gram) jar for a larger crostata.

On a lightly floured surface (kept floured), roll out ¾ of the dough. Carefully lift the dough and place in the pie dish. Gently press the dough into place and trim off  the excess dough, adding this to the remaining dough. 

Spoon the jam or jelly into the crust and spread evenly over the bottom all the way to the edges and into the corners.

Roll out the remaining dough and slice (using a knife, pizza or pastry cutter) into ½ to 1-inch strips. Lay the strips over the top of the jam layer as you like, evenly spacing the strips. Press the edges of the lattice strips to the edges of the dough to seal around the sides. Trim. Place the prepared crostata in the refrigerator to chill while the oven preheats or a bit longer.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

If you use recipe 1, bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, if you use recipe 2 bake for 35 minutes or until the crostata is puffy and the lattice crust as well as the bottom of the tart are a deep golden color, barely browning at the edges.

Remove the crostata from the oven and allow to cool before slicing and enjoying.

Thank you for subscribing to my Substack, Jamie Schler’s Newsletter, where I share my (mostly French) recipes, my hotel and my jams,  my projects, and the stories of my life. You can support my work by sharing the link to my Substack with your friends, family, and your social media followers. I’m so glad that you’re here.