Mother’s Day Recipe: Jam Crostata with Orange Caramel Sauce

My mother is one of the most amazing women I know. I’ve mentioned her a few times throughout this blog, and it never hurts to brag about her because she is the only person worth bragging about, especially this time of year.

As quite a few of you know, my journey hasn’t been quite a smooth ride. There was a messy divorce, financial issues, and a lot of hustling involved to get where I am. But no matter what, if there was one person who worked harder, longer, and still managed to be immensely supportive, it was my mom.

I owe a lot to her, because even through all the weird times, she has been there. I love eating the food she makes (which is why I never cook Indian food myself because it will never be as good); watching Bollywood movies together is kind of the best thing ever (especially when we fast forward to the songs); and with the amount of times we’ve cried from laughter, she is as much a best friend as a mother.

My mom and I at a wedding last year

With Mother’s Day coming up this Sunday, I hope everyone takes the time to reach out to the amazing women we get to have in our lives. While I’ll be brunching with my mom and sending over some desserts, I have a simple recipe that y’all can make for your moms as well if you choose to go the homemade route. (I’m sure my mom is reading this right now, so sorry, you won’t see this dessert on Sunday, but there will be others, I promise!)

I used a jam that as luck would have it, my mom got for me on a trip to New Mexico – a spicy, prickly pear jam that I loved from the start because spicy things. The dough is also mostly from semolina, which is common in Indian cooking and should you choose to make it the same way, can easily pick up a cheap bag of it at the Indian store. Choose your garnish to match your taste – I went simple and rustic with some orange caramel sauce.

How are you jamming with your mom this Sunday?

Jam Crostata

[ingredients]

Directions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in 1 egg and vanilla, mixing until well combined.
2. Add in the flour, semolina, and salt, and stir until just combined – do not over mix. Take dough out of the mixer and form into a disc. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until cold, at least an hour (This part can be done ahead).
3. When dough has sufficiently chilled, remove it from the fridge. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. On a heavily floured surface, roll dough out until it is the size of a large rectangle about 10″ x 16″. I made mine on the thinner side, but you can make it thicker if you like – just keep in mind to adjust baking time accordingly.
5. Transfer rolled out dough to a baking sheet fitted with a Silpat or parchment paper. I find that a Silpat works best in this case, so if you can, definitely use one.
6. Using an offset spatula, spread the jam evenly on the dough, leaving a one-inch border from each side. You might need more or less jam, depending on how large your rectangle is.
7. Carefully, fold over each open side so you have formed a sort of a crust on each side (see pictures).
8. Take the remaining egg and whisk it with the milk to form an egg wash. Brush the tops and sides of the crostata with the wash. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the crust is a golden  brown and  glistening.
9. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into slices. Drizzle with orange caramel sauce and serve warm or at room temperature.