Vegan Apricot Jam Crostata with Olive Oil Pastry, Reinterpreted | Crostata Vegana alla Marmellata di Albicocche Rivisitata
Crostata di marmellata is the most familiar dessert of Italian homes: a round of sweet shortcrust pastry filled with jam and covered with a lattice of pastry strips, baked until golden. The classic pasta frolla is made with butter and egg yolks; this crostata is a vegan reinterpretation of the traditional one. It keeps everything that makes it beloved, the crumbly, fragrant crust, the glossy amber jam showing through the lattice, the simplicity, and builds the pastry on mild extra virgin olive oil, almond flour, lemon zest and a little cold plant milk instead of the usual dairy fat and egg yolks. The result is a tender, short pastry with a clean, delicate flavor that lets the apricot shine, a crostata for breakfast, for the afternoon merenda or for the end of a Sunday lunch.
Yield: 10 servings. Prep: 30 minutes. Cook: 40 minutes. Rest: 1 hour 30 minutes, plus cooling. Course: dolce. Region: all of Italy.
The Story
The crostata is one of the oldest tarts of the Italian tradition. The word comes from crosta, crust, and recipes for crostate already appear in the great Renaissance cookbooks, such as the Opera of Bartolomeo Scappi, cook to popes, printed in Venice in 1570, where they are filled with fruit, creams and preserves. Over the centuries the crostata left the courts and entered every home. Today it is made in all twenty regions, with the same basic idea: a sweet pastry, a filling and the characteristic grid of pastry strips on top, the grata.
The pastry is pasta frolla, the Italian sweet shortcrust. Its classic version is made with flour, sugar, butter and egg yolks, and its name means crumbly, tender. Jam is the simplest and most loved filling, and apricot is the classic choice, because its balance of sweetness and acidity survives the oven and its amber color looks beautiful through the lattice. Italy grows excellent apricots: around Vesuvius, the small, fragrant albicocche del Vesuvio are protected as a Slow Food Presidium, and so is the albicocca di Valleggia on the Ligurian coast.
The crostata di marmellata belongs to the daily life of Italian families more than to feast days. It is the cake of grandmothers, baked on Sunday morning and eaten all week, at breakfast with a caffè latte or in the afternoon with a cup of tea. Every family has its own jam, often homemade from the summer fruit, and its own way of cutting the strips: straight or fluted, thin or wide, crossed or woven.
The traditional pastry is not vegan, and this recipe says so honestly and replaces each element with care. Mild extra virgin olive oil replaces the butter: Italian bakers in the south have long used oil in some of their pastries, and in a frolla it gives a tender, short crumb with a light fruity note. Almond flour and a little baking powder replace the structure and lightness that the egg yolks give, and cold unsweetened plant milk binds the dough. Lemon zest and vanilla bring the perfume of the classic frolla. The method stays traditional: a short, cold dough, a rest in the refrigerator, a thick jam and a lattice cut by hand.
Ingredients
Use a thick, high-fruit apricot jam, with at least 60 percent fruit and a set that holds on a spoon; a runny jam boils in the oven and soaks the pastry. Choose a mild, delicate extra virgin olive oil, from Liguria or Lake Garda for instance, not a peppery one, which would dominate the pastry. Unsweetened almond or oat milk works best. Use fine almond flour from blanched almonds, and an unwaxed lemon for the zest. All-purpose flour, or Italian type 00, gives the right tenderness.
For the olive oil pastry
All-purpose flour or Italian type 00, 2 1/2 cups (300 g), plus extra for rolling
Fine almond flour, from blanched almonds, 1/2 cup (50 g)
Granulated sugar, superfine if possible, 1/2 cup (100 g)
Baking powder, 1 tsp (4 g)
Fine sea salt, 1/4 tsp (1.5 g)
Unwaxed lemon, finely grated zest of 1
Mild extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup (110 g)
Unsweetened almond or oat milk, cold, 1/3 cup (80 ml)
Pure vanilla extract, 1 tsp (5 ml)
For the filling
Thick apricot jam, 1 1/2 cups (480 g)
Fresh lemon juice, 1 tbsp (15 ml)
Fine almond flour, 2 tbsp (12 g), for the base
For the finish
Unsweetened plant milk, 1 tbsp (15 ml), for brushing
Maple syrup, 1 tsp (5 ml), mixed with the milk
Powdered sugar, for dusting, optional
Preparation
Step 1
Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup (50 g) of almond flour, the sugar, the baking powder, the salt and the lemon zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips for a few seconds before adding the flours. Rubbing releases the essential oils of the lemon peel into the sugar, so the perfume spreads evenly through the whole pastry instead of staying in a few specks.
Step 2
Bring the dough together. Whisk the olive oil, the cold plant milk and the vanilla in a small bowl until slightly emulsified. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and mix with a fork, then with your fingertips, just until the dough comes together in a soft, smooth ball, about 1 minute. Do not knead. Divide it into two pieces, about two thirds and one third, flatten each into a disk 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick, wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Short mixing keeps the gluten undeveloped, which makes the pastry crumbly and tender; the rest firms the oil and relaxes the dough, so it rolls without cracking.
Step 3
Prepare the jam. Stir the jam with the lemon juice in a bowl until smooth and spreadable. If the jam has large pieces of fruit, chop them or pass the jam briefly through a blender. Taste it: it should be sweet but clearly fresh. The lemon brightens the flavor, which tends to flatten in the oven, and a smooth jam spreads in an even layer that bakes uniformly.
Step 4
Line the tart pan. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the lower third. Roll the larger disk between two sheets of parchment to a round of about 11 1/2 inches (29 cm), 1/8 to 3/16 inch (3 to 4 mm) thick. Peel off the top sheet, flip the pastry into a 9 1/2 inch (24 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom, peel off the second sheet and press the pastry gently into the corners and up the sides. Trim the edge flush with the rim and prick the base with a fork. Sprinkle the base with 2 tbsp (12 g) of almond flour. Rolling between parchment avoids adding extra flour, which would make the pastry dry; the almond flour on the base absorbs the juices of the jam and keeps the bottom crisp.
Step 5
Fill and make the lattice. Spread the jam over the base in an even layer, about 3/8 inch (1 cm) thick, leaving a narrow border near the edge. Roll the smaller disk between parchment to a rectangle 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick and cut 10 to 12 strips 3/4 inch (2 cm) wide, with a knife or a fluted wheel. Lay half the strips across the tart in one direction, then the rest diagonally across them, leaving even spaces. Press the ends onto the edge and trim them. Mix the plant milk with the maple syrup and brush the strips lightly. If the strips soften, chill them on their parchment for 10 minutes before lifting them: cold strips keep sharp edges.
Step 6
Bake the crostata. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the pastry is golden at the edges and on the lattice and the jam bubbles gently between the strips. If the edge browns too fast, cover it loosely with a ring of foil for the last 10 minutes. Baking in the lower third brings the strongest heat to the bottom of the pan, so the base cooks through before the jam boils over; the maple glaze gives the strips a shiny, golden finish.
Step 7
Cool completely before cutting. Let the crostata cool in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes, then remove the ring and let it cool completely, at least 1 more hour, before slicing. During cooling the olive oil pastry firms and becomes short and crumbly, and the jam sets again into a soft, sliceable layer. Cut warm, the pastry breaks and the jam runs. Dust the edge with powdered sugar just before serving, if you like.
Plating
Serve the crostata at room temperature, on a flat serving plate or a wooden board, whole at the table so the guests can see the lattice and the amber jam. Cut it into ten wedges with a long, sharp knife, pressing down firmly in one movement rather than sawing, so the lattice stays intact.
Place each slice on a small dessert plate, slightly off center, with the point toward the guest. A spoon of plain plant yogurt or a few fresh apricot slices in summer are good companions, but the classic way is the simplest: the slice alone, with a cup of espresso or a glass of sweet wine at the end of a meal.
Professional Technique
The key ratio is oil to flour. For 3 1/2 cups (350 g) of combined flours, 1/2 cup (110 g) of olive oil and 1/3 cup (80 ml) of plant milk give a pastry that is short but still rollable. Oil coats the flour particles more completely than solid fat, which limits gluten formation and gives tenderness; too much oil and the dough turns greasy and breaks, too little and it becomes hard and dry after baking.
The hidden variable is temperature. Olive oil does not solidify in the refrigerator the way butter does, so an oil pastry is always softer to handle. Cold milk, a full hour of rest and rolling between parchment compensate for that. If the dough becomes greasy or sticky while you work, put it back in the refrigerator for 10 minutes rather than adding flour.
The doneness test is visual and simple. The edge and the lattice must be an even golden brown, not pale, and the base, seen through the removable bottom when you lift the tart slightly, must be golden too. The jam should bubble slowly between the strips: fast boiling means it is too hot and will turn sticky and dark.
Pastry and Filling Control
Crostata is a balance between a dry pastry and a wet filling. The jam contains water that tries to move into the pastry during baking. A thick jam with a high fruit content, a thin layer of almond flour on the base and a hot oven rack near the bottom keep the base crisp. A runny jam or a pale, underbaked base give a soft, damp crust.
Thickness matters for both. The base should be 1/8 to 3/16 inch (3 to 4 mm): thinner and it breaks under the jam, thicker and it stays raw in the center. The jam layer should be about 3/8 inch (1 cm); more and it boils over the edge and burns on the pan, less and the crostata tastes only of pastry.
Sugar controls color and texture. The sugar in the pastry gives tenderness and browning, the sugar in the jam keeps it glossy and sets it as it cools. Because the jam is already sweet, the pastry is only moderately sweet, so the two together are balanced and never cloying.
Professional Mise en Place
A crostata is quick to assemble once the dough has rested. Make the pastry first and use the resting hour to prepare the jam, the pan and the tools.
Equipment and tools
Large mixing bowl, small bowl, whisk, fork
Microplane for the lemon zest
Rolling pin, parchment paper, ruler
9 1/2 inch (24 cm) fluted tart pan with removable bottom, sharp knife or fluted pastry wheel, pastry brush, cooling rack
Prepared ahead
Pastry made and wrapped, up to 2 days ahead in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer
Jam mixed with lemon juice, up to 1 day ahead
Tart pan lined with pastry, up to 4 hours ahead, kept in the refrigerator
Lattice strips cut and chilled on parchment, up to 1 hour ahead
Service setup
Crostata fully cooled, on a board or a flat plate
Long sharp knife, cake server
Powdered sugar in a fine sieve, dessert plates
Chef Tips
Make a double batch of pastry and freeze half, wrapped tightly. Thawed overnight in the refrigerator, it is ready for another crostata or for small tartlets, which bake in 18 to 20 minutes.
Change the jam with the season: sour cherry, plum, fig or orange marmalade all work with this pastry. Sharper jams such as sour cherry or orange suit the delicate olive oil flavor best, while very sweet ones benefit from a little more lemon juice.
For a deeper almond flavor, replace 1/4 cup (25 g) of the flour with more almond flour and add a drop of bitter almond extract. The pastry becomes more fragile, so chill it longer and roll it slightly thicker.
The crostata tastes even better the day after baking. Covered at room temperature, the pastry absorbs a little moisture from the jam and becomes softer and more fragrant, as Italian families know well.
Common Mistakes
Kneading the dough. Working the dough develops gluten and makes the pastry hard and shrinking. Mix only until it comes together.
Skipping the rest. Unrested oil pastry is soft and cracks when rolled. Refrigerate it for at least 1 hour.
Using a runny jam. Liquid jam boils over and soaks the base. Choose a thick, high-fruit jam.
Adding too much flour when rolling. Extra flour dries the pastry. Roll it between sheets of parchment.
Baking on the top rack. The base stays pale and soft. Bake in the lower third of the oven.
Overfilling. Too much jam overflows and burns on the pan. Keep the layer about 3/8 inch (1 cm) thick.
Cutting it warm. A warm crostata breaks and the jam runs. Let it cool completely.
Wine Pairing
Moscato d'Asti DOCG: A lightly sparkling, delicately sweet white from Piedmont, low in alcohol, with notes of peach, apricot and orange blossom. It echoes the fruit of the jam and its fine bubbles refresh the palate after the crumbly pastry. Serve it well chilled, at about 45°F (7°C).
Recioto di Soave DOCG: A sweet white from dried Garganega grapes in the hills east of Verona, with candied apricot, almond and a fresh acidity. Its almond note meets the pastry and its acidity keeps the sweetness in balance. Serve it at about 50°F (10°C).
Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC: The Tuscan dessert wine made from dried grapes and aged in small barrels, with dried apricot, hazelnut and caramel. Its nutty depth suits the almond and olive oil pastry. Serve it at about 55°F (13°C).
Passito di Pantelleria DOC: From the Zibibbo grapes of the island of Pantelleria, dried in the sun, rich with apricot, dried fig and orange peel. It has the intensity to match a whole slice of crostata and its apricot notes mirror the jam. Serve it at about 54°F (12°C).
Storage & Reheating
Room temperature: keep the crostata under a cake dome or loosely covered for up to 4 days; the pastry softens slightly over time but stays pleasant. Refrigerator: not necessary and not recommended, because the cold makes the oil pastry hard and dulls the aroma. Freezer: the baked crostata freezes well, whole or in slices, for up to 2 months, wrapped in parchment and foil; the unbaked pastry freezes for 1 month.
Thaw frozen crostata at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, still wrapped, so the condensation does not wet the surface. To refresh the pastry, warm it in an oven at 300°F (150°C) for 8 to 10 minutes and let it cool again for 15 minutes before serving: the crust becomes fragrant and short again. Avoid the microwave, which makes the pastry soft and the jam scalding.
Nutrition
Per serving, based on 10 servings:
Calories: 390 kcal
Total Fat: 14 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 110 mg
Total Carbohydrates: 62 g
Fiber: 2 g
Total Sugars: 34 g
Added Sugars: 30 g
Protein: 5 g
Principal micronutrients: vitamin E, manganese, folate, iron, vitamin A
These figures are estimates, calculated on the quantities listed and rounded to the nearest whole number. They vary with the sugar and fruit content of the jam and with the thickness of the pastry.
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