Individual strawberry crostatas

These individual strawberry crostatas are made with sweet and ripe strawberries, layered over ground almonds, wrapped in flaky mascarpone pie dough and baked until golden brown. Sweet and buttery, with tangy strawberry filling and topped with clotted cream, this crostata recipe is the perfect way to kick off April!

This mascarpone pie crust recipe is incredibly user-friendly. The absence of liquid allows you to mix or knead the dough without fear of over-developing its gluten structure. The mascarpone adds a tangy richness that comes through in the baked pie crust. Once the pie dough is pliable, you’ll only need a tiny sprinkling of flour (mainly on the rolling pin), so you won’t run the risk of having the dough toughen up after absorbing too much excess flour. This crust is so flaky and it resembles the layers of puff pastry without the fuff! The process is very simple and I have included some step to step pictures to help you with the process.

Frequently asked questions

Why add ground almonds on the base?
Grounds almonds absorb the juices from the strawberries while baking resulting in a crispy bottom!

Can I make this into 1 large crostata instead?
Definitely! The pie dough can simply be rolled into a large round (approximately 22cm) and follow the same steps as the individual ones.

Can I make this ahead of time?
Once the crostatas have been filled and assembled with strawberries, it is best to bake them and eat them right away. You can assemble the crostatas a day before, store them in the fridge and bake them the next day.

Difference between a crostata and a galette?
The only difference between the two is linguistic! Crostata is an Italian term and galette is French. Crostata is also not to be confused with pasta frolla which is an Italian tart filled with strawberry jam.

Is this crostata easy to make?
This crostata is very easy to make and can enjoy this incredibly buttery and delicious dessert in under 3 hours!

Can I use different fruit?
Definitely! Just replace the strawberries with any other soft berries.
I think raspberries, blackberries or even cherries would be great in this.

Ingredients for the individual strawberry crostatas

Strawberries: Make sure your strawberries are juicy and ripe.
Ground almonds: The ground almonds will absorb all the liquid from the strawberries while the crostatas are baking resulting in a crispy bottom.
Mascarpone: There is a lot of pie recipes out there that use cream cheese but I love the sweetness of the mascarpone especially for this crostata.
Vodka: The ethanol in the vodka stops the gluten in the flour from binding, creating a more tender pie dough.

Other summery recipes to try
Strawberry and basil pavlova
Raspberries and cream macarons
Tomato and goat’s cheese quiche

For the strawberry filling(makes 4 crostatas)

• 350g fresh strawberries
• 70g caster sugar
• Juice from half a lemon
• Zest from half a lemon
• 1tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 4 tbsp almond powder

For the crostata dough

• 178g all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 112g mascarpone
• 120g butter
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• 2 to 3 teaspoons cold vodka
• 1 egg (for brushing)
• Demerara sugar (for sprinkling)
• Clotted cream for serving (optional)

How to make the mascarpone pie dough

1. Cut the butter into cubes, wrap it in cling film and place in the freezer. Place the salt, caster sugar and flour in a resealable bag and freeze for 30 minutes.
2. In a food processor add the dry ingredients and whizz for twenty seconds until everything is combined. Add the cold cubed butter and whizz for another 30 to 40 seconds until you achieve medium-sized breadcrumbs. Add the mascarpone and pulse until your mixture has the consistency of coarse breadcrumbs. Don’t worry if there are some smaller and some larger sized crumbs- the dough will come together once the wet ingredients are added.
3. Add the vinegar and 2 teaspoons of the cold vodka and pulse until the dough starts to come together; add the remaining 1 teaspoon until it holds together in one piece. Tip onto a clean surface and work the dough with your hands and knuckles until it just comes together-DO NOT OVERWORK!
4. Place the pastry in the same freezer bag and press to form a rough rectangular. Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to two days.

How to make the strawberry filling

1. Place the cut strawberries in a bowl, sprinkle with the sugar, juice from half a lemon and leave them for half an hour to macerate. The water from the strawberries will start coming out, preventing a soggy bottom!
2. After 30 mins drain the strawberries over a colander set over a saucepan. 
3. Once all the juice has drained into the pan set the fruit back in the bowl. Place the pan over medium/high heat and reduce by two thirds then turn off the heat(The consistency should be thick and syrupy). 
4. Place the cornflour into a small bowl and pour over a little of the fruit juice, whisking to combine to form a slurry. 
5. Pour this mixture back into the pan and stir to combine, add the zest from half a lemon as well as the vanilla extract. Pour this mixture over the fruit and stir to combine.

How to assemble the individual strawberry crostatas

1. Remove the pastry from the fridge 10 minutes before you want to roll it so that the pastry slightly softens. On a floured surface, roll out evenly into a long rectangle, about 14 inches wide and ⅛ inches thick. Use a small bowl or plate (around 6 inches) to cut 3 circles. Re-roll the scraps to get one more circle. 
2. Place 1 tbsp of almond powder in the centre of each circle and spread using the back of the spoon. Use an ice cream scoop and divide the filling between the four discs placing on top of the almonds and then carefully draw the pastry border up and over the fruit-filled centre of the galette exposed. Place the crostatas in the fridge for one hour to firm up. Cut individual discs of paper and place the crostatas on top. This will help to transfer them to the tray in the oven.
3. While the crostatas are chilling preheat the oven at 200C/fan. Place a tray inside your oven with the bottom side facing up. Transfer the crostatas as quickly as you can in the oven so the temperature doesn’t drop too much. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes before reducing the heat to 180C fan and baking for a further 10-15 minutes or until the pastry is golden.
4. Remove from the oven and allow the crostatas to cool down fully before serving warm. 
5. The crostatas are best on the same day. You can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, but the pastry will lose most of its crispiness.

Notes

• Unfortunately, these individual strawberry crostatas don’t freeze well but you can make them the day before, chill them overnight and bake them the next day.
• I prefer transferring my crostatas to a hot tray inside the oven for an even crispier bottom, almost like you would do for a pizza! If you don’t feel comfortable doing that you can simply place them on a tray before baking.

Meringue kisses,
Athina xx