Crostata amalfitana (Lemon custard and sour cherry tart)

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PRESENTATION

Crostata amalfitana (Lemon custard and sour cherry tart)

With the recipe of crostata amalfitana (lemon custard and sour cherry tart), we make a trip to Campania, land of pastiera, sfogliatelle and many other delicacies with timeless flavors, recipes jealously guarded by this region. It is not a typical preparation, but a cake that takes its name probably because of the ingredients used and combined. A soft and fragrant shortcrust contains a lemon-flavored custard that hides gems of sweetness: amarena cherries. Cream and amarena cherries are in fact one of the classic combinations of southern sweets, particularly treats from Apulia (just think of pasticciotti) and Campania... A pair that we know well in cream-filled zeppole decorated with sour cherries; we had pleasantly discovered it in polacca aversana and we did not miss the opportunity to enrich our delicious dessert list with this tart with fresh and intense aromas that evoke the scents of the Amalfi Coast.

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients for shortcrust pastry (9 1/2-inch round mold)
Flour 00 2 ½ cups (300 g)
Eggs ½ cup (110 g) - (about 2)
Butter 0.6 cup (150 g) - cold from the fridge
Sugar 0.6 cup (150 g)
Lemon peel 1 - (possibly organic, unwaxed and from the Amalfi Coast)
Fine salt ½ tsp (3 g)
Baking powder 1 tsp
for the cream
Black cherries in syrup ½ cup (120 g)
Whole milk 1 ½ cup (370 g)
Egg yolks 0.3 cup (60 g) - (about 4)
Sugar 0.6 cup (150 g)
Flour 00 0.3 cup (40 g)
Lemon peel 1 - (possibly organic, unwaxed and from the Amalfi Coast)
to garnish
Powdered sugar to taste
Preparation

How to prepare Crostata amalfitana (Lemon custard and sour cherry tart)

To prepare crostata amalfitana (lemon custard and sour cherry tart), pour the flour, baking powder 1 and the cold, chopped butter 2 into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a spatula. Mix for a few minutes, then add the sugar 3.

and the salt 4. Start the machine again to obtain a floury and crumbled mixture, then flavor with the rind of half a lemon 5 and pour in the eggs 6,

knead until the dough is compact and well-blended 7. Then put the dough on the work surface, knead it lightly with your hands into a loaf 8 and cover with plastic wrap 9. Let it rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

In the meantime, prepare the custard: pour the yolks 10 and sugar 11 into a small saucepan, stir with a spatula and then add the flour 12.

Mix until smooth and thick 13, then set aside. Now pour the milk into a saucepan 14, flavor it with lemon zest 15 and heat it on the stove.

When it starts to boil, pour a small amount on the egg mixture, stirring with a spatula 16, then add the rest and blend. Transfer the saucepan over the heat 17 and let the cream thicken over medium heat, stirring continuously, until it is creamy and thick 18.

Transfer the cream into a bowl 19, fill a larger bowl with ice cubes 20 and place the cream on top 21.

Cover it with plastic wrap 22, this way it will cool down quickly without losing color and texture. Once it's cold, let it cool in the fridge for an hour. Once the necessary time has passed, take 2/3 of the shortcrust dough 23 and roll it out with a rolling pin 24

to a thickness of about 1/8 inch (3 mm) 25. Transfer the sheet obtained to a 9 1/2-inch (24 cm) round mold, preferably with a removable bottom 26. Make the pastry stick well to the bottom and sides, then cut off the excess dough around the top 27.

Fill the tart with the cream and spread it evenly with a spatula 28. Drain the sour cherries from their syrup 29 and scatter them over the cream 30.

Take the rest of the dough and the pieces of dough 31, roll them out with a rolling pin to a thickness of 1/8 inch (3 mm) 32 and cut out strips about 1/3-inch (1 cm) wide 33.

Lay the strips on the tart in a slanted direction, overlapping them to create a lattice pattern (34-35). Cut off the excess dough around the edges with a knife 36.

Once you have finished decorating 37, bake the tart in a static oven on the middle shelf at 360°F (180°C) for 35 minutes. When it is cooked, remove the crostata amalfitana (lemon custard and sour cherry tart) from the oven 38, let it cool down, then unmold it and serve it dusted with powdered sugar 39.

Storage

Crostata amalfitana (lemon custard and sour cherry tart) can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days.

You can freeze the uncooked shortcrust.

The custard keeps in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for a couple of days.

Tips

You can also knead it by hand: if you do, you have to be very quick to avoid overheating the butter.

To prepare this recipe, use organic, unwaxed lemons, ideally from Amalfi, to obtain an aromatic and fragrant tart!