Strawberry Cornmeal Crostatas with Whipped Crème Fraîche
Individual free-form tarts with crispy cornmeal-butter pastry and fresh strawberries macerated in sugar. The dough relies on a food processor technique to create a tender, flaky crust that's folded up around the fruit and baked until golden. Served warm or at room temperature with whipped crème fraîche.
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flourpastry floursamewheat
slightly more tender crust
- 2 tablespoon medium-grind cornmeal
- 5 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- ¼ cup ice water
- 3 pint strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise, quartered if large
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon milk
- whipped crème fraîchesour creamsamedairyadds dairy
tangier flavor
Instructions
- 1
Whirl flour, cornmeal, 5 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt in food processor to blend.
- 2
Add cold butter cubes to processor bowl and freeze 20 minutes.
- 3
Pulse until butter is slightly smaller than pea-size.
- 4
Add ice water and pulse about 10 times until evenly distributed; mixture will look dry.
- 5
Pour mixture onto work surface and press and squeeze with hands until dough holds together.
- 6
Flatten into a 6-inch disk, wrap in plastic, and chill in refrigerator 1 hour.
- 7
Arrange twelve 4-inch flan molds or tart pans on work surface; butter and flour if not nonstick.
- 8
Preheat oven to 375°F.
- 9
Roll dough slightly larger than a 12-by-16-inch rectangle on lightly floured surface, lifting and reflouring as needed.
- 10
Cut 12 even 4-inch squares and gently set each into a flan or tart pan.
- 11
Set pans on 2 rimmed baking sheets and chill until dough is cool but still flexible, about 5 minutes if needed.
- 12
Gently combine strawberries and 1/2 cup sugar in a medium bowl.
- 13
Let stand, stirring occasionally, until sugar looks wet but before syrup pools, about 5 minutes.
- 14
Scoop 1/3 cup strawberries onto each dough square.
- 15
Fold dough corners over berries by 1/2 to 1 inch.
- 16
Brush corners with milk and sprinkle lightly with sugar.
- 17
Bake until pastry is deep golden brown and crisp, about 35 minutes, switching pans halfway through.
- 18
Set baking sheets on rack and let crostatas stand until just cool enough to touch, 10 minutes.
- 19
Loosen crusts from pans with a knife and carefully invert each onto your hand, then set right side up on a plate.
- 20
Serve warm or cool with whipped crème fraîche.
Tips
Keep all ingredients and equipment cold when making the dough for maximum flakiness.
Lift and reflouring the dough while rolling prevents sticking without toughening the pastry.
Combine strawberries with sugar just before assembling to achieve the ideal wet-but-not-syrupy texture.
Switching baking sheets halfway through ensures even browning across all crostatas.
Good to Know
Crostatas keep in airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.
Dough can be made and chilled overnight. Assemble and bake day-of for best texture.
Warm or at room temperature with whipped crème fraîche on the side or top.
Common Mistakes
Overwork the dough to avoid tough, dense pastry; stop pulsing when butter is pea-sized.
Skip the freeze step to avoid the dough becoming too soft and difficult to roll and fold.
Macerate berries too far in advance to avoid excess syrup pooling and a soggy bottom crust.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
General Alternatives
slightly more tender crust