Italian Dessert-Crostata di frutta- Fruit Tart.

What’s your pleasure? Maybe Italian dessert Crostata di frutta? Or English Eton Mess?

I wanted a low calorie strawberry dessert and Italian, hard call!
In my opinion, Italy has some of the best strawberry desserts out there, but if you go to Italy they’ll make it with creamy butter and sugar and call it Crostata di frutta, nothing wrong with that, it’s delicious but it’s not low cal.

So, I had to play about with this a bit, I wanted it to taste as near to what I’d had in Rome as possible, but with far less calories.

Finally, after searching the web and every cook book I owned I mixed three recipes for fresh fruit tart together, and this is what I came up with…

I haven’t got a sweet tooth, but when I make this fruit tart, I could be persuaded to change my mind, I checked it on my nephew, he gave it the thumbs up, (so it must be good).
It’s got a lemon short crust base, creamy vanilla filling and fresh fruit on top, if you’re after a lower calorie strawberry dessert, you’ve found it!

Here is the recipe

Makes 3 x 4 inch /100mm tartlets or one 230mm/9 inch tart

Prep Time 10 mins
Cooking Time 15 mins
Ingredients

For the pastry

• 170g Plain (AP) flour
• 115g Butter, chopped into small pieces (see Cook’s Tips 1.)
• 1 Free range egg yolk
• 8g Splenda granulated low calorie sweetener
• ½ Lemon rind, grated

Method for the pastry

• Sieve the flour, and Splenda together onto a clean work surface, sprinkle over the grated lemon
• Make a well in the middle and add the chopped butter and egg yolk to the well
• Using your fingertips, gently work the mixture together, until you have a ball of dough
• Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces
• Shape each piece into a round shape
• Take one round and gently push down into the pastry case
• Use your fingers to flatten the dough at the bottom and gently work it up the sides (see Cook’s Tips 2.)
• Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes
• Prick each tartlet with a fork several times, base and sides
• Line each one with foil and cover the base with baking beans
• Bake blind in a pre heated oven 190°C/365°F/Gas mark 5 for 15 minutes
• Remove from oven and take out beans and foil, leave to cool on a wire rack

For the pastry cream

• 6 Free range egg yolks
• 15g Splenda
• 1 Vanilla pod
• 525ml Semi skimmed milk
• 40g Plain (AP) flour

Method for the pastry cream

• Whisk together the egg yolks and Splenda until thick and creamy
• Beat in the flour
• Score the vanilla pod down one side and add it to the saucepan with the milk
• Bring the milk gently to the boil (see Cook’s tips 3.)
• Remove the vanilla pod and slowly pour the milk into the egg mixture, vigorously whisking
• Pour the mixture back into the saucepan; continue stirring over a low heat until it thickens (see Cook’s tips 4)
• Pour the mixture into a bowl and cover with clingfilm and allow to cool

Method

• Divide the pastry cream between the tartlets
• Decorate with fruit of your choice

Cook's tips

• 1. I used Lurpak light
• 2. You can roll the pastry out, your preference
• 3. The milk must come to the boil or it won’t thicken
• 4. If the mixture goes lumpy, just use a whisk to break it up, or pour through a sieve

Equipment

• 3 x 4 inch/100mm non stick tart cases with loose bottoms, cover the base with greased, greaseproof paper, then grease the sides
• Medium saucepan

Shopping List for pastry

• 170g Plain (AP) flour
• 115g Lurpak light butter
• 1 Free range egg
• 8g Splenda granulated low calorie sweetener
• 1 Lemon

Shopping list for pastry cream

• 15g Splenda
• 1 Vanilla pod
• 525ml Semi skimmed milk
• 6 Free range eggs
• 40g Plain (AP) flour
• Fruit of your choice

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