Warm Chocolate Crostata Recipe

Mix dry ingredients

In a large bowl whisk together the fine semolina, all-purpose flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt until evenly combined.

Cut in butter

Add cold, cubed unsalted butter to the dry mixture. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse sand with some pea-sized bits of butter remaining.

Add wet ingredients

Whisk together the egg yolk, cold water, and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Sprinkle the liquid over the flour-butter mixture and gently mix with a spatula or your hands until the dough just comes together. If it seems dry, add up to 1 additional teaspoon of cold water, 1 tsp at a time.

Form and chill

Gather the dough into a disk (about 7–8 inches), wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes (up to 2 hours). Chilling hydrates the semolina and firms the butter for a flakier crust.

Roll out and blind bake

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to a roughly 12-inch round about 1/8–3/16" thick. Transfer to a 10–11 inch tart/crostata pan or a parchment-lined sheet, fold the excess to form a rustic edge. Line the dough with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove weights and parchment and bake another 6–8 minutes until the base is set and just beginning to color. Reduce oven to 350°F (175°C) for filling bake. Cool slightly while preparing filling.

Melt chocolate and butter

Place chopped bittersweet chocolate and unsalted butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water (double boiler) or use short bursts in the microwave (20–30 seconds, stirring between). Stir until smooth and glossy. Remove from heat and let cool for 3–5 minutes.

Whisk eggs and sugar

In a separate bowl whisk together the granulated sugar, whole eggs, and the additional egg yolk until the mixture is slightly frothy and homogenous (about 30–60 seconds by hand).

Temper eggs into chocolate

Add a small spoonful (1–2 tbs) of the warm chocolate into the egg-sugar mixture and whisk quickly to temper the eggs. Gradually whisk the tempered egg mixture back into the larger bowl of melted chocolate until fully combined and silky.

Add flavor

Stir in the fine sea salt, fresh orange zest, and orange juice until evenly incorporated. Taste and adjust orange zest or salt as desired.

Assemble and bake

Pour the chocolate filling into the pre-baked semolina crust, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 18–22 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center still has a slight jiggle (the flourless filling will set as it cools). Avoid overbaking to keep a fudgy center.

Cool

Remove crostata from oven and let cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes; the filling will continue to set. For best texture, allow to cool to warm (not hot) before serving with gelato.

Prepare oranges

While the crostata cools, segment the orange: using a sharp knife, cut off the top and bottom, slice away the peel and pith, and cut between membranes to release segments. Reserve any juices for the gelato or drizzling.

Plate and garnish

Spoon or slice the warm chocolate crostata. Place a generous scoop (about 1/2 cup) of Branca Menta gelato on each slice or alongside. Arrange a few orange segments on the plate or atop the gelato. Sprinkle with a light dusting of confectioners' sugar and optional chopped toasted hazelnuts or pistachios for texture and contrast.

Serve

Serve immediately while the crostata is warm and the gelato begins to soften; the contrast of warm chocolate, cool mint gelato, and bright orange creates the intended flavor interplay.