BLUEBERRY CROSTATA RECIPES

Steps:

• Combine first 3 ingredients in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover and cook, without stirring, 5 minutes or until blueberries begin to release some liquid. Uncover and simmer until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool completely. Cover and chill. (Mixture will continue to thicken as it cools.)
• Stir together flour and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Combine egg and egg yolk in a separate bowl; beat lightly with a wire whisk. Add egg to crumb mixture, stirring lightly with a fork. Sprinkle water, 1 teaspoon at a time, evenly over surface, stirring with a fork until dough is moist enough to hold together. Pat dough into a round disk; cover and chill 1 hour.
• Divide dough into 2 portions (about two-thirds and one-third of the total). Place larger portion on a lightly floured surface. (Chill remainder, covered.) Roll pastry into an 11-inch circle (about 1/8 inch thick). Transfer dough to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Carefully fit dough into pan (without stretching it). Remove excess dough by rolling a rolling pin over top of pan. Spoon blueberry mixture into pastry.
• Roll remaining pastry into a 9-inch circle (about 1/8 inch thick). Cut circle into 8 (3/4-inch-wide) strips, using a knife or pastry wheel. Lightly brush rim of unbaked tart with water. Place 4 strips diagonally across top of tart. Place remaining 4 strips diagonally in opposite direction across top of tart. Remove excess dough. Press edges of strips against pastry shell edges. Place tart on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
• Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes. Remove rim of pan; cool completely on a wire rack. Cut tart into wedges; serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Steps:

• Prepare the pastry. Place the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process for about 5 seconds.
• Add the butter and a few tablespoons of water, and process until you have a crumb-like texture, about 5 to 10 seconds. Pat the dough into a round form for easy rolling.
• If using pastry flour, continue immediately. If using all-purpose flour, refrigerate, covered for half hour. (If you are using prepared dough, defrost per instructions, making sure to push together any cracks.)
• Place a 10-inch diameter removable bottom disc of a springform or removable tart pan on a foil covered heavy baking sheet with a rim. (You won't need the sides of the springform or tart pan for this freeform tart.)
• On a floured surface, roll out the homemade or packaged pastry into a round that is 13 inches in diameter.
• Roll the pastry back onto the rolling pin and transfer it to the tart bottom round, laying the dough flat to cover the round with a 3- inch border overlap all around on the baking sheet.
• Refrigerate while making the filling.
• Preheat the oven to 400 F.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, the lemon zest, salt and blueberries, and mix to coat the berries.
• Remove the tart from the refrigerator, and sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon flour evenly over the center of the crust.
• Arrange the fruit mixture in the center of the pastry, and then fold about 3 inches of the pastry edges up around the fruit, making pleats, to look like a free-form tart.
• Brush the pastry with beaten egg and evenly sprinkle the remaining sugar over the pastry and fruit.
• Bake the tart for 40 to 45 minutes or until the fruit filling is bubbling and the crust is caramelized.
• Let cool at least 20 minutes on a wire rack. Slide the tart pan bottom to a serving platter. Slice, and serve with ice cream.