Crostata with Lemon Custard and Whipped Ricotta Cream

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Description

Would you like a slice of a delicate and elegant dessert? Let me offer you an Italian-style crostata filled with two layers of heavenly, tender, lemony creams topped with sour-sweet berries. Mmmm the dessert feels so light and airy and delicious. I foresee your desire for another slice. Please do not hesitate and help yourself with more. Decorate with any seasonal berries or fruit of your choice. Serve with tea, coffee, or dessert wine.

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 lemon, juiced
  • ⅜ cup white sugar, divided
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ⅜ cup unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • ½ cup 35% heavy whipping cream
  • 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • ½ cup fresh raspberries, or as needed

Instructions

  1. Combine flour
  2. 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter
  3. sugar
  4. egg
  5. baking powder
  6. and vanilla extract in a food processor. Blend ingredients until dough starts sticking together and forms one piece.
  7. Wrap crostata dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  9. Remove dough from the refrigerator. Roll out dough using a lightly floured rolling pin on a work surface
  10. or flatten it directly onto a baking sheet using your fingers
  11. to form crostata shell. Pierce shell with a fork to prevent air bubbles during baking.
  12. Bake in the preheated oven until sides are golden brown
  13. 15 to 20 minutes.
  14. Remove crostata from the oven and set aside to cool.
  15. While crostata cools
  16. pour lemon juice into a heavy saucepan through a sieve and stir in 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Heat mixture over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves
  17. about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
  18. Beat remaining sugar
  19. eggs
  20. and flour together in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer or a whisk until white and airy in texture.
  21. Pour warm lemon juice mixture into egg mixture slowly
  22. whisking constantly. Pour custard mixture back into the saucepan.
  23. Heat custard mixture over medium-high heat
  24. stirring constantly until thick
  25. about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and continue to mix until the uneven texture becomes smooth
  26. about 1 minute. Add butter gradually to custard 1 piece at a time
  27. stirring constantly
  28. until smooth. Let custard cool to room temperature.
  29. While custard cools
  30. combine ricotta cheese
  31. whipping cream
  32. confectioners’ sugar
  33. and lemon zest in a food processor. Blend until mixture is uniform and smooth in texture
  34. 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer ricotta cream to a bowl.
  35. Place lemon custard and ricotta cream in the refrigerator to cool completely
  36. about 30 minutes.
  37. Remove custard and cream from the refrigerator. Spread lemon custard evenly on cooled crostata crust. Spread ricotta cream on top of lemon custard. Decorate with raspberries. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Prep Time: 35 mins

Cook Time: 25 mins

Total Time: 2 hrs

Servings: 8

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