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Recipes
April 2022

Cherry and Dark Chocolate Crostata

By Stefano Secchi

3.9

(11)

Cherry and dark chocolate crostata on a table with coffee and drinks
Photograph by Paola + Murray, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua 

You may not be able to see the sprinkling of chopped chocolate hiding beneath the cherry filling, but you’ll taste the richness it brings to every bite. This tart was inspired by a tart chef Stefano Secchi of New York City’s Rezdôra ate while working in Piedmont, Italy, a region known for the many varieties of cherries available in the spring and summer. For a distinctly Italian variation, use half a packet of Paneangeli Lievito Pane Degli Angeli (a flavored leavening agent you can buy online) in place of the baking powder and vanilla.

What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    8 servings

Ingredients

Dough

2

cups (250 g) Italian 00 flour or all-purpose flour

½

cup (100 g) granulated sugar

1

tsp. finely grated lemon zest

1

tsp. baking powder

½

tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt

11

Tbsp. chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1

large egg

1

large egg yolk

½

tsp. vanilla extract

Filling and assembly

3⅓

cups fresh (or frozen) sweet cherries (about 20 oz.), pitted

3

Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2

tsp. cornstarch

Big pinch of kosher salt

⅓

cup (67 g) sugar, plus more for sprinkling

2

oz. dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao), coarsely chopped

1

large egg, beaten to blend

Special equipment

A 9"- or 10"-diameter tart pan with removable bottom

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Dough

    Step 1

    Pulse flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, and salt in a food processor to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture is the consistency of wet sand. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and pulse again to combine. The mixture should still look crumbly but hold together when squeezed in your hand. Turn out onto a surface and smash and pat into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour.

    Do ahead: Dough can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

  2. Filling and assembly

    Step 2

    Cook cherries, lemon juice, cornstarch, salt, and ⅓ cup (67 g) sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cherries have burst but still have some body and juices have thickened, 6–8 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes.

    Step 3

    Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Roll out dough to about ¼" thick. Transfer to tart pan; lift up dough, allowing it to slump into corners, then press lightly into pan. Trim excess so dough is flush with rim. Set extra dough aside.

    Step 4

    Scatter chocolate across crust, then top with filling. Reroll reserved dough; cut into strips or cut out into other shapes. Use strips to make a lattice top or decorate with shapes as desired. Brush dough with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden brown, 20–25 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes to let filling set.

    Do ahead: Filling can be made 1 day ahead; cover and chill. Crostata can be baked 4 days ahead; let cool completely. Store covered at room temperature.

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