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The Best Rustic & Elegant Pear and Cranberry Crostata

Hands carefully arranging roasted pear halves in a circular pattern on top of a layer of almond cream on a raw pastry dough.

An elegant, from-scratch recipe for a rustic, free-form Italian tart (a crostata) with pear, cranberry, and almond cream. The dessert features three distinct homemade components: a rich, buttery pie dough, a creamy almond cream (frangipane) filling, and a topping of Bosc pears that have been roasted with ginger until golden. The dough is rolled out, spread with the almond cream, topped with the roasted pears and fresh cranberries, and then the edges are folded in before being brushed with egg and baked until the pastry is golden brown.

Ingredients

Scale
  • For the Pie Dough:
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 5 tablespoons milk
  • For the Almond Cream:
  • 14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 1/4 cups almond flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • For the Roasted Pears & Assembly:
  • 6 Bosc pears, peeled, halved, and cored
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 (1-inch) piece fresh, peeled ginger, cut into 4 pieces
  • 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
  • 1 egg, beaten

Instructions

  1. Make the Pie Dough: In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and mix until the mixture has pecan-sized lumps of butter. Whisk together the yolks and milk, then add to the flour mixture and mix until a dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for several hours.
  2. Make the Almond Cream: In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the almond flour, then the eggs, and finally the flour, vanilla, and salt. Store covered in the refrigerator.
  3. Make the Roasted Pears: Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a roasting pan, toss the pears with the ginger. Sprinkle with sugar and dot with butter. Roast for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Let cool.
  4. Assemble the Crostata: Preheat the oven to 350°F. On a floured surface, roll out half of the pie dough into a 12- to 14-inch circle and transfer it to a lightly buttered baking sheet.
  5. Spread about 1/2 cup of the almond cream in an 8-inch circle in the center of the dough.
  6. Arrange the cooled roasted pears in concentric circles over the almond cream. Sprinkle the cranberries on top.
  7. Fold the edges of the dough in, slightly overlapping the fruit, to create a rustic border.
  8. Brush the dough with the beaten egg.
  9. Bake for about 1 hour, until the pastry is golden brown. Let cool before serving.

Notes

  • This is a multi-component recipe where each part—the dough, the almond cream, and the roasted pears—can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.
  • The pie dough recipe makes enough for two crostatas; the second half can be frozen for later use.
  • Roasting the pears before baking them in the crostata develops a deeper, more caramelized flavor.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.eatswithsoul.com/pear-and-cranberry-crostata/

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