Every year it seems our stash of Sicilian Christmas cookies are gone way too soon. So, this past Christmas, I saved some of the filling to make another small batch for Easter. Not feeling like baking, I came up with this crostata instead. It’s a perfect pairing with an afternoon coffee or for a special spring dessert and it can be made in mere minutes. All I did was thin the filling to a jam consistency and the buttery crust is a cinch to make. You could also use your favorite jam (store bought or homemade).
Ingredients:
Crust:
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 oz. unsalted butter, cold
Filling:
- 3 cups cuccidati filling
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 3 tablespoons water
- Whipped cream and orange zest for topping
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and sugar. Add the vanilla. Using a pastry blender (or 2 butter knives), cut in the cold butter pieces until crumbly. Using your hands, mix until it comes together into a ball and looks like dough.
- Place the ball of dough into a buttered 9-inch tart pan and using your hands, flatten the ball while evenly pressing it into the bottom of the pan. Bake in a 350*oven for 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the cuccidati filling with orange juice and water. Stir until warm and desired consistency. If you are using jam, remove from container and warm.
- When crust is done, remove from oven, pour in filling and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes. Let cool.
- Serve with whipped cream and grated orange zest.
