5.25.2010

Balsamic Strawberry Mini Crostadas

Fall. Winter. Spring. All these seasons I wait. I wait for strawberry season. My favorite season. After a recent trip to LA and a love-at-first-bite encounter with Huckleberry, owned by baker Zoe Nathan, I returned home with an irresistible urge to bake something. Something fruity, buttery and sweet. Not exactly nutritious, but certainly yummy.




Balsamic Strawberry Mini Crostadas
inspired by Zoe Nathan's apple crostada

6 individual crostadas
1 large crostada

The Dough

4 oz butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled
1 cup flour
2 Tb sugar
1 tsp sea salt
3 Tb plus ice water
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

The Filling
20 strawberries (approximately a quart)
2 Tb sugar
1-2 tsp balsamic vinegar

  • In food processor, pulse flour, sugar, baking powder and salt
  • Add the butter and pulse until pea size
  • Add the water and pulse until the dough just comes together
  • Wrap the dough in plastic, flatten and refrigerate for at least 2 hours
  • Hull and quarter strawberries and combine with sugar and balsamic vinegar
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough in to a 12 in square. If making individual crostadas, cut in five inch circles or squares
  • Arrange dough on a greased cookie sheet
  • Add ~1/4 cup of strawberries in the center of the first pastry. Turn up the sides of the dough and fold it over a bit of the fruit. The center will be open. Repeat for remaining pastries. If making one large crostada, distribute the fruit evenly leaving 2 inches around the edges. Fold the edges of the dough over some of the fruit
  • Add a thin pat of butter to top of each pastry and sprinkle with sugar
  • Bake at 375 degrees. Individual: 30-35 min; Large: 45min-1hr
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes

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