Blueberry Cream Cheese Crostata

Flaky home made pastry with a slightly sweetened cream cheese & fresh Blueberries. Absolutely worth the small amount of effort. Directions seem like a lot of work but it's really a simple recipe.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 8 pieces

Ingredients

• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sugar
• 4  ounces unsalted butter
• 1  cup cold water
• 10  ounces fresh blueberries
• 8  ounces cream cheese, at room temp
• 6  tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Pastry: Chill mixer bowl & paddle in freezer for 10 minutes.
2. Cut butter into small pea sized cubes then put into freezer to keep cold.
3. Combine flour, salt & sugar & add to mixing bowl & set mixer to medium low speed. Slowly add chilled butter a few cubes at a time until all butter is coated with flour & looking crumbly.
4. With the mixer running, slowly pour the ice cold water in a thin steady stream into the flour mixture until a dough ball forms. The flour should drink most of the water but if the dough feels sticky add a little four to the outside of the ball before wrapping in plastic bag then place in fridge for 15 minutes.
5. Filling: Place cream cheese, 4 tablespoons powdered sugar & vanilla into mixer bowl & mix on medium to combine well.
6. Rinse & drain berries but leave them slightly damp.
7. Add 2 tablespoons powdered sugar to berries in a bowl & combine.
8. Roll out pastry on floured bench to fit onto a greased 16" pizza pan (for easy transfer to pan, fold dough in half then half again to a triangle or wedge shape then lift to pan & unfold).
9. Spread cream cheese mix evenly over dough all the way to the edges. Pick up one piece of the dough's edge & fold in by about 1 inch toward the middle & about 3 inches long & continue all the way around (you are basically making a rough octagonal shape).
10. Place the sugar coated berries evenly across the middle of the pie & use the remaining sugar syrup in the bowl & a brush to glaze the folded edge of the crust before placing into a preheated 400F (200c) oven for 30 to 35 minutes until pastry is golden.
11. Cool to room temp, cut into 8 using pizza cutter & try to stop eating more than 1 piece !
12. NOTE: If you are experienced at pastry you may think that the amount of water is way too much but PLEASE TRY IT. I am not a trained chef but I spend a lot of time experimenting & I find the high amount of water results in a lot of steam creating a beautiful flaky pastry without all the technical pastry folding.