Saturday, November 27, 2010

Daring Bakers Challenge: Crostata

The 2010 November Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Simona of briciole. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make pasta frolla for a crostata. She used her own experience as a source, as well as information from Pellegrino Artusi’s Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.

I learned two new things this month. One, crostata is Italian for tart. Two, pasta frolla is translated to "pain in the ass pastry that is very good but so finicky and delicate that I will never make it again". No, it is, look it up. This pastry reminded me of a teenager, it had to be coaxed, prodded, placated and bribed in order to do what it was supposed to do in the first place. I dropped so many expletives trying to get this stuff into the pan I am expecting an invitation to join a pirate ship any day now.

While there were many choices to fill the pain in the ass tart, I chose to make a pastry cream and top it with fresh raspberries. It was delicious. All that effort was worth it in the end. This does not mean I will be attempting this pastry again, I'm not a masochist you know....


4 comments:

Audax said...

I just love that last photo the crust is perfect. Your translation is so so funny LOL LOL. Well done on this challenge. Cheers from Audax in Sydney Australia.

getoffmynerves said...

It was yummy!

PattiCake said...

I'm blogging along with FFwD and am not looking forward to having to make a crust of any type. It just never works out for me. Your crostata does look work the effort though! Where did you get such yummy looking berries this time of year?

Cara said...

Patti Cake, pastry is normally not too bad, Alton Brown's is the one I use most and I have found it to be most consistent. The berries I lucked out on, they are just from the local Safeway.