Fresh cherry crostata *JB

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.03

Title: Fresh cherry crostata *JB
Categories: Desserts
Yield: 8 Servings

2 c + 1 T all-purpose flour
1/4 c Granulated sugar
1/2 t Salt
1 1/2 Sticks (6 oz) cold unsalted
-butter, cut into 1/4" dice
-plus 1 T melted butter
1/2 c Ice water
2 T Blanched almonds, very
--finely chopped
3 lb Fresh cherries, pitted

In a bowl, mix 2 cups of the flour with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and the
salt. Add the cold butter and cut it in briefly using a pastry blender.
Add the water and stir just until the dough begins to come together.

Gather up the dough and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Knead
briefly until it forms a smooth, cohesive mass. Pat the dough into a
disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before rolling
out.

Mix the almonds with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon of
the sugar.

Preheat the oven to 400F. On a lighlty floured surface, roll out the
dough to a 15-inch round; transfer to a baking sheet. Sprinkle the almond
mixture all over the dough to within 1 1/2 inches of the edge. Arrange
the cherries on top. Fold the edge of the dough up and over the fruit.

Brush the melted butter over the pastry border and sprinkle the remaining
2 tablespoons sugar over the whole crostata. Bake for 50 minutes to 1
hour, or until the crostata is deeply browned. Let cool on a rack for 10
minutes. Dip a brush into the crostata and glaze the cherries with some
of their juices. Serve warm.

Reprinted from Food and Wine Magazine, April 1996.

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