Crostata is an Italian dessert, which kind of resembles like Greek Pasta Flora or Frolla but there is a difference between the two of them, which will be explained in this post.

What is the difference between a crostata and a pasta frolla?
The terms crostata and pasta frolla are related but refer to different aspects of Italian baking:
Crostata
- Definition: A crostata is an Italian tart or pie, typically made with a sweet pastry crust and filled with jam, fruit, ricotta, custard, or other ingredients.
- Role: It is the finished dessert or dish.
- Varieties: Crostate can be sweet or savory. Sweet versions often have lattice tops or open faces, while savory ones are less common but can include fillings like vegetables and cheese.

Pasta Frolla
- Definition: Pasta frolla is the Italian term for sweet shortcrust pastry, used as the base for many desserts, including crostate.
- Role: It is the dough or crust used to make a crostata and other pastries.
- Composition: Made from flour, sugar, butter, eggs (or yolks), and sometimes flavorings like lemon zest or vanilla. The dough is tender and crumbly due to the high fat content.
- Variations: Can be adjusted for texture (more crumbly vs. more elastic) based on ingredient ratios and handling.

In Summary:
- A crostata is the dessert.
- Pasta frolla is the dough used to make the crostata (and other desserts).
What ingredients do we need to make a crostata?
The ingredients are similar to those of Pasta Frolla
- All-purpose flour
- Unsalted butter
- Sugar (crystal sugar, icing sugar or brown sugar)
- Eggs
- Lemon zest
- Salt
- Vanilla (either vanilla extract, vanilla sugar or vanillin)
What gives my crostata a Greek twist?
I used all the traditional ingredients mentioned above, but the key difference lies in the butter. Instead of regular cow’s butter, I used leftovers from Christmas: a Corfu-style butter (50% sheep and goat milk, 50% cow’s milk) and some Dodoni sheep butter. These unique Greek butters added a distinct flavor to the crostata.

To enhance the lemon aroma, in addition to the lemon zest, I also added a lemon-flavored vanilla sugar.

How to make the Crostata
Prepare the Food Processor:
If you have a small food processor, prepare the dough in batches. If your food processor is large enough, you can process all the ingredients at once.
Process the Butter and Flour:
- Cut the cold butter into 5 equal portions.
- Add 1/5 of the flour and one portion of butter to the food processor.
- Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, similar to wet sand.
Repeat the Process:
- Transfer the crumb mixture to a large bowl and repeat with the remaining flour and butter until all are combined.
Combine with Dry Ingredients:
- Add the icing sugar, lemon-flavored vanilla sugar, salt, and lemon zest to the bowl with the flour-butter mixture. Mix briefly to combine.
Incorporate the Eggs:
- Add the first egg and mix with your hand until fully absorbed.
- Crack the second egg into a cup and separate the yolk. Add the yolk to the mixture and continue mixing.
- Gradually add the egg white, a little at a time, until the dough comes together and forms a smooth ball. You may not need all of the egg white.
Divide the Dough:
- Divide the dough into two portions: one slightly larger (for the base) and one smaller (for the lattice or top).
Prepare the Lattice:
- Place your tart pan upside down on parchment paper and trace a circle around it with a pencil.
- Place the parchment paper on a flat surface, such as a cutting board.
- Roll out the smaller portion of dough between two sheets of cling film or parchment paper until it is 3–5 mm thick.
- Cut the dough into strips and assemble the lattice on the parchment paper. If any strips are too short, cut additional strips and gently press them together.
- Transfer the lattice to the refrigerator to chill.

Prepare the Base:
- Use the larger dough portion to line a 26 cm tart pan. Place a sheet of cling film over the dough and press it gently into the pan to form the base, ensuring it reaches the edges. Trim any excess dough.
- Refrigerate the base for 15 minutes.

Add the Filling:
- Spread your jam or marmalade evenly over the chilled dough base. (For this recipe, I used Quince jam on 2/3rd of the tart and 1/3 mixed citrus marmalade.)

Add the Lattice Top:

- Remove the prepared lattice from the refrigerator. Using the parchment paper as support, invert the lattice over the tart. Carefully adjust and press the edges of the lattice to fit neatly around the tart pan.
Bake the Crostata:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Bake the crostata for 25 – 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and fully cooked.

Cool and Serve:
- Allow the crostata to cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving.

Greek-style Crostata with Jam and Marmalade
Ingredients
- 200 grams cold sheep and goat unsalted
- 50 grams cold sheep unsalted butter
- 600 grams all-purpose flour
- 200 grams icing sugar
- 2 large eggs
- A pinch of salt
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 10 grams lemon-flavoured vanilla sugar
Filling:
- About 200 grams of your favourite jam or marmalade
Instructions
- Cut the cold butter into 5 equal portions.
- Add 1/5 of the flour and one portion of butter to the food processor.
- Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, similar to wet sand.
- Transfer the crumb mixture to a large bowl and repeat with the remaining flour and butter until all are combined.
- Add the icing sugar, lemon-flavored vanilla sugar, salt, and lemon zest to the bowl with the flour-butter mixture. Mix briefly to combine.
- Add the first egg and mix with your hand until fully absorbed.
- Crack the second egg into a cup and separate the yolk. Add the yolk to the mixture and continue mixing.
- Gradually add the egg white, a little at a time, until the dough comes together and forms a smooth ball. You may not need all of the egg
white. - Divide the dough into two portions: one slightly larger (for the base) and one smaller (for the lattice or top).Place your tart pan upside
down on parchment paper and trace a circle around it with a pencil. - Place the parchment paper on a flat surface, such as a cutting board.
- Roll out the smaller portion of dough between two sheets of cling film or parchment paper until it is 3–5 mm thick.
- Cut the dough into strips and assemble the lattice on the parchment paper. If any strips are too short, cut additional strips and gently press them together.
- Transfer the lattice to the refrigerator to chill.Use the larger dough portion to line a 24 cm tart pan. Place a sheet of cling film over the dough and press it gently into the pan to form the base, ensuring it reaches the edges. Trim any excess dough.
- Refrigerate the base for 15 minutes.
- Spread your jam or marmalade evenly over the chilled dough base. (For this recipe, mixed citrus marmalade and quince jam were used.
- Remove the prepared lattice from the refrigerator. Using the parchment paper as support, invert the lattice over the tart. Carefully adjust and press the edges of the lattice to fit neatly around the tart pan.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Bake the crostata for 30–35 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and fully cooked.
- Allow the crostata to cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving.
Nutrition Information
Yield 10 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 439Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 63mgSodium 53mgCarbohydrates 82gFiber 2gSugar 31gProtein 13g
"These values are automatically calculated and offered for guidance only. Their accuracy is not guaranteed."

Tarts:
Some more Sweet and Savoury Tarts
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Kopiaste and Kali Orexi,
