Peach Crostata Recipe

A Peach Crostata Recipe with a layer of apricot jam, crowned with slices of fresh peaches and pastry dough cutouts to form a lovely rose shaped pattern. It’s one delicious and almost too pretty to eat, Italian-style fruit tart.

If there’s one must try dessert before Summer’s end, then this delightful fresh peach crostata is it.

A crostata is essentially an Italian-style tart. And, made with a tender short crust pastry dough.

Such tarts filled with jam are simply wonderful all on their own. However when coupled with slices of fresh sweet peaches or other fruits, they’re just heavenly!

The base of this Italian tart is the same one I use when making my Sbriciolata, Italian Crumb Cake.

However, instead of reserving part of the pastry dough for the crumble, I rolled out the dough and cut out 2 inch circles. I used these pieces alongside the sliced peaches to form the tart in a pretty rose shaped pattern. Much like this lovely Apple Rose Cake.

I know you’ll love this easy to make yet fanciful dessert as much as we do! It’s incredibly delicious and disappears in a flash.

So let’s get started!

Ingredients For Crostata with Fresh Peaches

With a few simple ingredients you can turn a simple tart into a work of art! Here’s a list of the main ingredients.

• Fresh peaches
• Apricot jam or peach jam
• All purpose flour
• Butter
• Sliced almonds
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs
• Baking powder
• Salt

How To Make A Peach Crostata

• Place the sliced almonds and granulated sugar in a food processor and pulse together until very fine
• Add in the sifted flour mixture and the butter, then pulse together until you have a very crumbly mixture.
• Next, add in the whole egg and egg yolk then pulse again until large clumps form.
• Transfer the pastry dough onto a work surface and knead just until smooth and compact.
• Slice off 1/3 of the dough, cover with cling wrap and set aside to chill in the fridge.

• Roll out the remaining dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and line the greased baking tin with the rolled out dough. If any breakage occurs, simply press the dough back together with your hands.
• Refrigerate the tart while you prepare the cutouts.
• Remove the 1/3 portion of pastry dough from the fridge and roll it out between 2 sheets of parchment paper, to 1/4 thick.
• Use a 2 inch round cookie cutter to cut out pieces of dough and slice each round in half. You can repeat this process to reuse the remaining scraps of dough.
• Transfer the cutouts onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and keep chilled while you slice the peaches into 3/4 inch slices.

• Remove the tart from the fridge and use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to evenly spread the jam over the tart shell.
• Place the first row of sliced peaches, side by side, along the edges of the tart. Make sure the peaches are skin side up so that you have a bird’s eye view of the pretty colours.
• Next, place the cutouts in an overlapping pattern alongside the peaches in a circular pattern.
• Repeat with another row of peaches and then the cutouts for a total of three.
• To form the rose at the very centre, place very thin slices of peaches overlapping one another until the whole centre has been filled.

• Warm some apricot jam in the microwave and brush over the top of the peaches and the dough cutouts.
• Sprinkle some demerara sugar over the tart. The coarse sugar is optional but I love it, as this gives a slight crunchy texture on top of baked goods.
• Bake the crostata for approximately 30 to 35 minutes. When ready the cutout rounds of dough should look golden and dry.
• For a little extra sheen you can brush the freshly baked crostata with more warm jam, if desired.

Jam filled tarts are one of Italy’s classic desserts and never get old. You can fill the tarts with your favourite jam, coupled with fresh fruits or not.

I love it with a light dusting of powdered sugar just before serving and find it makes a wonderful stand alone dessert. But you can also serve the tart with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, if you so wish!

And if you’re looking to bake with more peaches, then be sure to check out this delightfully moist Peach Almond Cake. And it’s completely gluten free!

Happy Baking!

Print Pin

5 from 5 votes

Peach Crostata Recipe

A Peach Crostata Recipe with a layer of apricot jam, crowned with slices of fresh peaches and pastry dough cutouts to form a lovely rose shaped pattern.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Peach Crostata Recipe

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Equipment

• 9 inch Tart tin with removable bottom

Ingredients

For The Crumble

• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1½ cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon demerara sugar
• powdered sugar (for dusting over the baked cake)

For The Jam and Peach Layers

• 1/2 cup apricot or peach jam (plus 2 tablespoons)
• 4 peaches (cut into 3/4 inch slices)

Instructions

For The Crostata Dough

• Grease a 9 inch round tart tin with a removable bottom and set aside.
• Combine the sliced almonds and sugar in a food processor and pulse together until very fine.
• Sift together the flour, the baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl.
• Add the sifted flour mixture and the butter to the nut and sugar mixture in the food processor.
• Pulse together until you get a very crumbly mixture.
• Add the egg, egg yolk and pulse until large clumps form.
• Transfer the pastry dough onto a work surface and knead just until you have one uniform ball of dough.
• Measure out approximately 1/3 of the dough, cover with cling wrap and chill until ready to use for the cutouts.
• Roll out the remaining dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper.
• Line the prepared baking tin with the pastry dough, while pressing together any pieces of dough that come apart.
• Cover and chill while you make the half moon cut outs.

Make Cookie Cutouts For Crostata

• Remove the 1/3 portion of crostata dough from the fridge.
• Roll out the pastry dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper, approximately 1/4 inch thick.
• Use a 2 inch cookie cutter to cut the dough into round shapes.
• Slice each round across the middle to form half moons and transfer to a parchment lined cookie sheet.
• Repeat this process by re-rolling the scraps of remaining dough.
• You should end up with approximately 32 half moon pieces.
• Chill the cookie dough slices while you slice the peaches.

Prep The Peaches

• Wash the peaches and pat dry.
• Slice the peaches into 3/4 inch slices and set aside.

Assembling the Peach Crostata

• Remove the chilled tart from the fridge.
• With an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread 1/2 cup of apricot jam over the pastry dough.
• Starting at the outer edges of the tart, place one row of sliced peaches (skin side up) in a circular pattern. Do not overlap.
• Place the chilled pastry dough cutouts in an upright position and overlapping, alongside the peach slices, also forming a circular pattern.
• Repeat 2 more times until you have approximately 1 inch round space remaining in the middle.
• Fill this space with thinly sliced peaches while overlapping the thin slices in a circular pattern and the centre is completely filled.
• Warm a tablespoon of apricot jam in the microwave and gently brush the jam over the peaches.
• Sprinkle the top with demerara sugar.
• Bake the crostata in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F, for about 35 minutes.
• Transfer to a wire rack and brush with another tablespoon of warm jam.
• Allow to cool, then dust with powdered sugar before slicing and serving.

Tried this recipe?Mention @marisasitaliankitchen or tag #marisasitaliankitchen!