P
Italian · Florence, Tuscany
Crostata di Marmellata alla Fiorentina
Florence's canonical jam tart — the simplest application of pasta frolla (Florentine sweet short pastry) filled with apricot, cherry, or fig conserva (home-made preserve). The defining Florentine technique: the lattice is made from rolled strips of the same pasta frolla, pressed onto the jam filling before baking, creating a golden, slightly crumbly lattice that contrasts with the glistening jam. The jam must be a true conserva (fruit and sugar only, no pectin) rather than a commercial jam — it maintains its fruit character through baking.
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I
The Market List
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For the pasta frolla
250 g
plain flour
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
125 g
unsalted butter
cold, cut into pieces
Your own market
100 g
caster sugar
Your own market
2
egg yolks
Your own market
1 tsp
lemon zest
finely grated
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 tsp
vanilla
extract or pod seeds
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
For the filling
300 g
home-made conserva
apricot, cherry, or fig; fruit and sugar only, no pectin
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
For the egg wash
1
egg yolk
beaten with a drop of milk
Your own market
II
The Method
1
Combine the flour and cold butter in a bowl, working quickly with fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, egg yolks, lemon zest, and vanilla. Bring the dough together without overworking. Wrap and rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour — 2 hours improves the texture markedly. The dough is ready when it is firm, cohesive, and no longer tacky to the touch.
2
Preheat the oven to 170 °C. Butter a tart tin. On a lightly floured surface, roll two-thirds of the rested pasta frolla to 3 mm thickness. Line the tin, pressing the dough firmly into the base and up the sides. Blind-bake for 10 minutes. The base should be set and dry to the touch at its centre — this step prevents a raw bottom crust beneath the jam.
From the canon — Pasta frolla — Italian short pastry, used for crostata (jam tarts), pastiera (Neapolitan Easter tart), and pastry shells across the Italian tradition — diffe… Pasta Frolla: Italian Short Pastry →
3
This is where the tart lives or dies: spread the conserva evenly over the blind-baked base to within 5 mm of the rim. The conserva must be a true home-made preserve — dense, fruit-forward, and low in water. A commercial jam will thin and overflow during baking, flooding the lattice and producing a wet, structurally collapsed tart. The conserva layer should be thick enough to be clearly visible through the finished lattice but level with the pastry edge.
4
Roll the remaining pasta frolla to 3 mm and cut into strips of exactly 1.5 cm width — narrower strips will break and collapse in the oven. Lay the strips across the tart in a diagonal pattern, pressing the ends firmly against the pastry rim to seal. Brush the lattice with beaten egg yolk and milk.
5
Bake at 170 °C for 25–30 minutes. The tart is done when the lattice is pale gold throughout and the conserva bubbles gently at the edges. Do not raise the temperature to hasten colour — the pastry edge and lattice will scorch before the jam caramelises correctly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tin before slicing. The tart is at its best the following day, when the jam has softened the lattice slightly and the flavours have integrated.
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Home-made conserva from a single named variety — Blenheim apricot, Morello cherry, or black fig — cooked to a dense, low-water set; butter at 84% fat; pasta frolla rested overnight.
02
Estate — Artisan conserva from a small producer, fruit and sugar only confirmed on the label; good-quality unsalted butter; dough rested a minimum of 2 hours.
03
Market — Quality supermarket conserve (fruit content above 60%, no added pectin); standard unsalted butter; dough rested the minimum 1 hour.
04
House — Any all-fruit jam without added pectin; standard butter; dough rested adequately — the structural and flavour result will be acceptable though the conserva character will be less pronounced.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Touch. The rested pasta frolla is firm, cohesive, and no longer tacky — it holds a clean edge when pressed.
◇Touch. The blind-baked base is dry and set at the centre when pressed lightly — no soft or yielding patches.
◇Sight. The conserva is level, dense, and stops 5 mm short of the pastry rim — it should not slump or pool.
◇Sight. At the end of baking, the lattice is pale gold throughout and the conserva bubbles gently at the edges of each diamond.
◇Where it lives or dies. The conserva must be a true home-made preserve of fruit and sugar only — commercial jam thins aggressively in the oven, floods the lattice, and destroys the tart's structure and character.
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
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