Italian Crostata with Homemade Haskap Jam is a classic Italian dessert made with a buttery pastry base and topped with a velvety sweet and tart haskap berry jam. Perfect for ending a Sunday lunch or dinner, it's a simple yet delicious treat that celebrates the beauty of homemade baking.
Song of the day: Seven Days - Sting
Until I came to Canada, Sunday supper was not really a thing in my world. Sunday was all about lunch. At my parents' house, my granny's, my own home, or with friends and relatives, it was always Sunday lunch. Sometimes we hosted, sometimes we were guests, but gathering around the table in the middle of the day was a tradition that was simply part of life.
Italian Sunday lunch
As a matter of fact, Sunday lunch is a big tradition in Italy. It's not just a meal, but a few hours spent sitting together, sharing conversation, wine, and course after course. Buffets are not the norm in Italy. Instead, there's a progression: antipasto, first course, second course with a side, dessert, fruit, and coffee. There is plenty of time in between to enjoy each one. And yes, it often means a mountain of dishes-especially in homes like my granny's, where there was no dishwasher. But when the food feeds the soul, and everyone helps, it never feels like work.
Sunday Dolce
Many of those Sunday lunches ended with a homemade dolce (dessert). Crostata is one of the most beloved desserts and comes in many delicious variations. Usually, it is filled with jam, but also with ricotta and chocolate, or topped with pastry cream and fresh fruit. Making a crostata feels natural to me. I've been baking it for many years, and I know I'll continue making it for many more. It's probably the dessert I've eaten the most, and the one that truly feels like home.
Haskap berry Jam
The inspiration for this Italian Crostata with Homemade Haskap Jam was a beautiful jar of homemade haskap berry jam. We hand-picked the berries at Rosy Farms, just outside Edmonton, during a special day of sharing a long table dinner with passionate food lovers.
A buttery short pastry meets a sweet & tart jam
This homemade Italian Crostata with Homemade Haskap Jam brings together two simple pleasures: a tender, buttery short pastry and a vibrant layer of homemade haskap jam. The pastry is delicate yet sturdy, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture that balances beautifully with the jam's natural sweetness and gentle tartness. Made with seasonal haskap berries, the jam adds a burst of deep berry flavor and a lovely contrast to the rich, golden crust. It's a rustic Italian dessert that celebrates simple ingredients, homemade traditions, and the joy of baking from scratch.
Cut out shapes or lattice top?
When I make a crostata with the traditional lattice top, people here often mistake it for a pie. But while the two may look similar, crostata is an Italian tart made with a tender pasta frolla, a buttery shortcrust pastry that gives it its own unique character. For this Italian Crostata with Homemade Haskap Jam, I decided to let my creative side shine and replaced the classic lattice with cut-out and stamped leaves and little dots. Sometimes, you just have to step away from tradition and have fun with it. Seeing how beautifully it was received was the perfect validation of my creative spirit.
Crostata is a dessert you can hold in your hands and enjoy anywhere. No cutlery, no fuss-just the simple pleasure of homemade pastry and jam.
Italian Crostata with Homemade Haskap Jam is my way of letting you into my Italian life. I hope you enjoy!
Italian Crostata with Homemade Haskap Jam
Italian Crostata with Homemade Haskap Jam, a delicious dessert made of a crumbly short pastry topped with a velvety sweet and tart homemade jam. A typical Italian dessert to end a Sunday lunch or dinner.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert, Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 300 gr (2 cups) flour 00 (or unbleached all-purpose)
- 2 eggs, organic free range
- 90 gr butter, cold, cubed
- 100 gr (⅓ cup) organic cane sugar (or white granulated sugar)
- 1 lemon, the zest
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 medium jam jar (whatever flavor you may like, I used my homemade haskap berry jam)
Instructions
- In a food processor, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, butter cubed, and pulse a few times.
- Add the eggs and the lemon zest. Pulse again, quickly, until it just comes together. Do not overwork so as not to warm the butter.
- Place it onto a lightly floured surface, shape into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least half an hour.
- After that time, remove the pastry dough from the fridge, let it come to room temperature, then cut and set aside a little piece of the dough, less than a ¼, that you will need for the decorative top.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 4 mm thickness. It is a sticky dough, so you need to flour the top and bottom (but not too much, or it will toughen the pastry), or you could roll the dough in between 2 parchment sheets to prevent the dough to sticking to the rolling pin.
- Place the round of dough into a tart pan with a removable bottom (11-inch/28cm), cut excess dough on the edges (add it to the ¼ that you have already set aside) and prick the bottom with a fork. Then, spread the jam on top. I used my homemade haskap berry jam.
- Roll out the rest of the dough set aside. With a cookie cutter in the shape of a leaf or any other shape you like, cut shapes, and arrange them on top of the jam creating a design.
- Bake the crostata at 350°F (180°C) for about 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Allow to cool a bit, remove from the tart pan and serve in slices.
Notes
In Italy, Crostata is usually made with a jam that is not overly sweet but instead has a nice acidity to counterbalance the buttery crust.
I love baking and kneading dough because it takes me to a happy place in my soul.
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
What a beautiful dessert! I love the design and I really want to try those haskap berries!
Thank you, Kathy!! We all loved this dessert. For me, it is easy to make and is always well received. The berries were a revelation! So good!
Milena Perrine says
I have always admired (and envied, in a good way) the Italians for the many courses they get to enjoy. One of my favorite reasons to go to Italian restaurants so I can justify ordering from the various parts of the menu. I agree with you - Sunday lunch and it's affinity for family is unsurpassed! You sure know how to rock it:) Beautiful crostata. I've never tried haskap berries before but you have sold me on them! Pinned.
Thank you, Milena! Yes, I love the multiple courses. For me, it is weird when I have everything on one plate 😉 . This crostata was so loved by everyone, thanks also to the wonderful berries.
Karen says
So happy to have stumbled on your recipe - so beautiful and tempting. And I've never heard of haskap berry! I wonder if they are like blackberries or blueberries in North America?
This is a dessert close to my heart (I have 2 Italian grandmothers 🙂
Yay for the Italian grandmothers!! So happy you found us. Haskap berries are berries you can find in Canada, Japan, and in other parts of the Northern hemisphere. They are similar to blueberries, more elongated in shape, and softer, juicier. You can replace any other berry jam for the crostata, I love wild blackberry jam, or raspberry, but also blueberry works.