Strawberry & Almond Crostata

Free-form tarts are a fantastic time-saver, as they remove the need for faffing about and blind baking. You can also fill them with almost any seasonal fruits you like, making this an excellent go-to recipe for a quick dessert when you've got leftovers in your fruit bowl.

If you'd like to make this crostata gluten-free, simply sub in the flour of your choice – you can also also leave out the ground almonds in the dough recipe and replace them with more flour, if you like.

SERVES:
6

Ingredients
Instructions

Ingredients

For the pastry

125g plain flour

100g ground almonds

2 tbsp caster sugar

Pinch of salt

100g plant-based butter

Splash or two of plant milk

¼-½ tsp almond extract

For the filling

800g strawberries, halved or quartered

2 tbsp golden caster or coconut sugar

2 tbsp ground almonds (optional)

To finish

1 tbsp plant milk – I used oat

⅓ cup flaked almonds

To serve

Oat cream or dairy-free ice-cream

Instructions

Add the flour, ground almonds, sugar and salt to a large bowl, and stir to combine.
Add the butter in small chunks or dollops and rub it into the flour – with palms facing up, rub the mixture from your thumbs to your little fingers, until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Add a splash of milk and ¼-½ tsp of almond extract, according to your taste, and gently mix together using a knife. You should be able to bring the dough together into a ball – if not, add another splash of milk.
Being careful not to overwork the dough, quickly bring it together into a rough disc, and wrap it in cling film. Place in the fridge for at least half an hour.
While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/Gas 4. Add the chopped strawberries and sugar to a bowl, and stir to combine.
When your dough is ready, unwrap it onto a large square of greaseproof paper, and place another one on top. Roll out the pastry to a rough round about 5mm thick.
Remove the top layer of parchment and slide the pastry on its paper onto a baking tray – I like to use a round pizza tray.
Sprinkle the ground almonds in the middle of the pastry, and top with the strawberries. Fold the edges of the pastry up around the strawberries – you can use the parchment paper to help with this, carefully folding it up then pulling back the paper.
Brush the edges with the plant milk, and sprinkle and push on the flaked almonds.
Bake for about 30-40 mins, or until the pastry is lightly golden, the almonds are toasted, and the strawberries are bubbling and releasing their sticky syrup. Serve warm with oat cream or dairy free ice-cream on the side.