Ina Garten Just Told Fans Her Favorite Pie For Ringing In Spring

As the flowers start to bloom and the garden begins to flourish, Ina Garten looks to seasonal ingredients to highlight in her recipes. In a recent Instagram post, she shared a simple, yet flavorful, favorite spring pie recipe that received rave reviews. In the photo's caption, Garten praised the seasonal versatility of crostatas, a rustic pie dessert. For this recipe, she presented a Raspberry Rhubarb Crostata, which combines sweet and tart flavors nestled in a buttery pastry dough.

Some traditional springtime pie or dessert recipes combine strawberry and rhubarb. Rhubarb is tart and fibrous, but the strawberries are juicy and sweet. In Garten's recipe, she uses raspberries for the sweetness and juiciness. When combined with a touch of orange for brightness, the fruit filling is as flavorful as it is colorful. For anyone tired of the classic combination, this swap is quite tasty.

Instagram was full of praise for the springtime pie recipe. Whether it was people looking for rhubarb recipes or others enjoying a versatile dessert dish that can work with a variety of fruits, it seems that this recommendation is a hit. As seen in the linked recipe, the dessert is relatively straightforward, which seems to appeal to bakers. Although not necessarily recommended, a store-bought pastry dough could be swapped if the home cook does not have baking confidence. Whether this springtime pie is served to Jeffery, John, or even Jason, everyone around the table will sing its praises.

Staring into the bakery case can make a stomach rumble in anticipation. While professional bakers can make that buttery pastry dough come to life, home bakers might prefer to avoid the latticework, pie bird, or even crumble. When the fruit is the star of the slice, a crostata, galette or tart might be preferred, but those desserts are not necessarily interchangeable.

The Italian dessert, crostata, is a pastry dough wrapped around fruit jam. Once the dough is filled with the fruit mixture, the crust edges are folded around the filling. A galette is the same dessert, but with a French name. For the baker who is looking for a simple, rustic fruit and pastry dessert, a crostata or a galette is a delicious choice.

On the other hand, a tart can be more complicated. Using a particular tart pan, the crumbly, shortbread-like crust encases the fruit and sometimes custard filling. Usually removed from the pan before serving, the tart is about the contrast in textures and flavors. More importantly, mastering the tart takes a skilled hand and there is little room for error. A broken tart shell will not win any blue ribbons.

For the baker who prefers simplicity, the crostata or galette might be the preferred choice. It may be better to leave the picture-perfect fruit tarts to the baking professionals.