Archives for November 2008

Ok so the top view of the crostata makes it look like a meat pie, but I swear it’s not! It’s a crumb topping (cause you know how I feel about crumb toppings :). I’ve been craving an apple/cinnamon dessert for about a week now, and I came home to 4 ripened apples, ready to be baked. How perfect! Apple crostata is kind of like apple pie, but smaller and with no top crust layer. I was never really good with pies, so crostatas are perfect for me! The smell of this baking in your oven will bring your neighbors over. Seriously, it’s just that good.

Recipe from Ina Garten the “Barefoot Contessa”
1½ hours 1 hour prep

Pastry
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar or superfine sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 lb very cold unsalted butter, diced
2 tablespoons ice water

Filling
1 1/2 lbs macintosh apples or macoun apples or empire apples (3 large) (I used Fuji)
1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest

Topping
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar or superfine sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced.

For Pastry:

1. Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade.
2. Pulse a few times to combine.
3. Add the butter and pulse 12-15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas.
4. With the motor running, add the ice water all-at-once through the feed tube.
5. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough becomes a solid mass.
6. Turn the dough onto a well floured board and form into a disc.
7. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.
8. Meanwhile– preheat over to 450 degrees and make filling.
9. After the dough has been in frig for one hour– Roll pastry into an 11-inch circle and transfer to baking sheet.

For Filling:

10. Peel, core and cut apples into 8ths.
11. Cut each wedge into 3 chunks.
12. Toss with orange zest.
13. Cover tart dough with the apples leaving a 1 1/2 inch border.
14. Make topping: Combine flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and allspice in bowl of food processor fitted with a steel blade.
15. Add the butter and pulse until mixture is crumbly.
16. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts holding together.
17. Sprinkle evenly over apples.
18. Gently fold the border over the apples to enclose the apples, pleating it to make a circle.
19. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the crust is golden and the apples are tender.
20. Allow to cool.
21. Serve warm or at room temperature.