Wildberry Crostata

Photography by Alison Engstrom

When berry season arrives, it’s difficult to decide whether to eat them by the fist-full straight off the bush, devour the entire container from the farmers market, or bake with them. Right now, if you live in the northeast, wineberries are flourishing. While they are deemed invasive, since they grow pretty much anywhere, their flavor is irresistible, it’s slightly tarter than a raspberry, but equally delicious. Here they sprinkled with sugar and folded in a flaky pastry, which was slightly adapted from MARTHA STEWART’S FRUIT DESSERTS: 100 DELICIOUS WAYS TO SAVOR THE BEST OF EVERY SEASON.

Wildberry Crostata

For the Dough

Crust recipe slightly adapted from MARTHA STEWART’S FRUIT DESSERTS: 100 DELICIOUS WAYS TO SAVOR THE BEST OF EVERY SEASON (Clarkson Potter)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 sticks unsalted cold butter, diced into 1-inch cubes

4 tablespoons ice cold water

2 egg yolks, plus one whole egg beaten for egg wash

2 tablespoons turbinado sugar, for crust

For the Filling

3 cups berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries or a mixture of the three)

1/4 cup sugar (or to taste)

Pinch of salt

Directions: Prepare the crust. In the base of a food processor, place flour, sugar, salt, and butter, pulse until it dough resembles the size of peas. Add two egg yolks and cold water, one tablespoon at a time until dough starts to come together. You should be able to squeeze it in the palm of your hand and it stays together. If it’s dry, add one tablespoon of water at a time. Form dough into a disk and wrap in parchment paper and refrigerate for at least two hours and keep the parchment paper.

Once chilled, prepare the filling. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with reserved parchment paper. Place berries in a bowl, add sugar, pinch of salt—always taste your fruit! If it is very sweet you don’t need to add as much sugar. Allow fruit mixture to macerate for about 15 minutes or until the oven is preheated. Place parchment on a flat surface and roll dough into a circle leaving about three to four inches overhang reserved to roll onto filling. Place filling in the center and fold up edges of dough. Brush crust with egg wash and generously sprinkle crust with turbinado sugar and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and center fruit is bubbling. Let sit until cool.

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