There is nothing more Italian than a fruit crostata. Less so if we make it gluten free and add rosemary and cinnamon to the wine caramel but the results is simply wonderful.

I cannot cook without herbs and rosemary is so versatile because it’s great in savoury as well as in sweet dishes. Take it from me, try this recipe and you will fall in love with crostate immediately!

plum and grape crostategf_500

Italian Mini Crostate with Plums in Wine Caramel, Rosemary and Pinenuts

Ingredients for 6 generous servings:

For the crostata:

  • 75g fine polenta ½cup
  • 75g rice flour ½cup
  • 75g corn flour 2/3 cup
  • 1 heaped tsp xanthan gum
  • pinch of salt
  • 150g/5oz butter cubed
  • 50g/2oz xylitol sugar
  • grated zest of 1 untreated lemon
  • 1 large organic or free range egg lightly mixed with two tablespoons of cold water
  • vanilla essence

For the plums:

  • 500g plum, ripe but firm 1 pound and 1 oz
  • 1 small bunch of red seedless grapes
  • 1 strip of untreated lemon rind, only the yellow part
    110g xylitol sugar ½ cup
  • 1tbsp rosemary leaves
  • 1 cinnamon stick about 5cm, 2inches long
  • 2 peppercorns bruised
  • 60ml good red wine ¼ cup
  • 2 tbsp roasted pinenuts

Instructions:

  • Start by making the crostata dough by sifting the rice flour, fine polenta, cornflour, xanthan gum and salt into a bowl and mix well.
  • Add the cubed butter and rub into the flour mixture until it resemble small peas. Add the xylitol, few drops of vanilla essence and lemon zest and quickly mix it in.
  • Make a well in the center and carefully add the egg and water mixture using a fork. The dough should start to come together, so discard the fork and bring into a ball with your hands. Don’t be tempted to add extra liquid at this stage. Although rather damp pastry is easier to handle and roll out, the resulting crust can be tough and may well shrink out of shape in the oven.
  • On a lightly rice or cornflour floured board, gently knead the dough with the heel of your hand for a few minutes to form a silky- smooth ball. Then wrap in cling film and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. This step is crucial to make the pastry much less elastic and easier to handle.
  • While the dough is chilling preheat the oven to 180C°, 350°F or gas mark 4 and prepare the plums.
  • Combine the xylitol with 200ml of water in a deep heavy-based pan. Stir over medium heat until the xylitol has dissolved, then add the lemon rind, peppercorns, cinnamon stick. Bring to a simmer without stirring until the mixture form a light caramel syrup. It will take up to 10/15 minutes.
  • Add the plums, rosemary and wine. Stir gently until all plums have being dipped in the syrup. Add the grapes then cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and cook very gently for a few minutes. Don’t overcook the fruits and make sure that you stir it gently to avoid breaking it up.
  • Transfer the plums and grapes to a bowl with a slotted spoon and leave to cool. Let the syrup simmer for a further 5 minutes then strain through a sieve and leave to cool separately.
  • Take the pastry dough out of fridge and cut it in 6 equal smaller dough balls. Roll out each small dough ball on a lightly floured surface to a size of 12cm.
  • Gently fit each pastry dough into a lightly butteres aluminum ring 9cm diamater, making sure to keep the borders straight against the side of the ring. Position all the crostate on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
  • Fill each crostata with a generous amount of plums and grapes. Fold over the edges and gently press them in a pleating effect as you go. Brush the pastry with egg wash, then bake until golden brown, 20/25 minutes.
  • Leave the crostate to cool in their aluminum ring then scatter a few roasted pinenuts on each crostata and drizzle with the caramel syrup. Serve warm or at room temperature with optional ice-cream.

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Filed under: Blog • Cakes

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