Pear and Blue Cheese Crostata

By lorik

Ingredients

• For the pastry:
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated or superfine sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter, diced
• 2 tablespoons ice water
• (This recipe will use half of this pastry)
• For the crostata:
• 4 small to medium ripe pears
• 3 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts or walnuts
• 3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
• honey (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

For the pastry, place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough becomes a solid mass. Turn the dough onto a well-floured board and form into a disk. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Core and cut the pears into small, 1/2-inch chunks. Set aside in a bowl.

Roll out your crust onto a well-floured countertop until you have a rough, 10- to 12-inch circle. Transfer it to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Pour the pears into the middle of the crust, leaving about a 1 1/2-inch border around the edge. Scatter the blue cheese evenly over the top, tucking some pieces under and in between chunks of pear.

Combine the flour, sugar, and nuts in a bowl, then add the butter. Pinch the mixture together with your fingers until the dry ingredients are somewhat pebbly and combined with the butter enough that most pinches hold together.

Pour the topping over the pears. Fold the edges of the crust toward the center, folding it as necessary to create a circle. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Drizzle with honey, if desired, before serving.


Per serving, based on 8 servings. (% daily value)
Calories 155 Fat 7.6 g (11.6%) Saturated 3.5 g (17.5%) Trans 0.2 g Carbs
21.8 g (7.3%) Fiber 2.7 g (11%) Sugars 14.1 g Protein 2 g (3.9%) Cholesterol 13.9 mg (4.6%) Sodium 48.1 mg (2%)