Carol Ann’s Apple Crostata

One of my favorite things about autumn is the comforting smell of apple pie baking in the oven. I love the aroma of baking apples seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg filling my kitchen with the flavors of fall.

When I don’t have the time or energy to make a perfect-looking pie crust, I make crostatas or galettes. Crostata is the Italian version of a rustic, free-form, open fruit tart. The French call this same dessert a galette. These desserts are not make in a pie dish but rather on a baking sheet. To make crostata, the Italian roll dough into a large circle, leaving a one- to two-inch border, and pile either a fruit or savory filling in the center. The border is folded over the filling, and the pie is baked in the oven until bubbling.

Crostatas are a good recipe for beginning cooks to try as they don’t require any special bakeware, other than a rolling pin, and the outcome can be rustic looking rather than picture-perfect.

We love to top our apple crostata with vanilla ice cream.

Carol Ann’s Apple Crostata

Serves 8

For the crust (makes enough dough for 2 crostata or 1 covered tart):

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ½-inch cubes

7 tablespoons ice water, or more if needed

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add 4 tablespoons butter and cut in with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add the remaining 8 tablespoons butter and cut in with the pastry blender or fork until the mixture is the size of small peas. The smaller the pieces, the more tender the pastry. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon water over the mixture and gently toss with a fork.

Repeat this process until the mixture is moist. The less water that is added, the more tender the pastry. It is not necessary to add all of the water.

Divide the dough into 2 halves. Form each half into a disk and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. When ready to roll out the dough, remove from the refrigerator and let soften slightly. Unwrap the dough and press the edges so that there are no cracks. Lightly flour a clean surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the disk from the center out to the edges into an 11-inch circle about ⅛-inch thick. Transfer rolled dough to a baking sheet.

For the filling:

1 ½ pounds Jonathan or Granny Smith apples (about 3 to 4)

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

¼ cup flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash ground nutmeg

4 tablespoons (½ stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Using a paring knife or vegetable peeler, peel, core, and cut apples into 8 wedges. If you prefer to leave the peel on, it won’t affect the outcome. Cut each wedge into 2 slices. Place apple slices in a medium bowl and toss with lemon juice. Place apple slices on the dough, leaving a 1 ½-inch border around the edge.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Transfer to a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub the mixture with your fingers until it starts holding together. Sprinkle evenly on the apples. Fold the border of exposed dough up and over itself at regular intervals, crimping and pushing it up against the fruit, creating a rim. Make sure there are no breaks that will allow juices to leak out.

Bake crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the apples are tender. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips on selecting apples: When buying apples, press the skin gently. Apples should feel firm to the touch. Avoid apples that are soft or mushy or indent easily when their skin is pressed. Never buy apples with dull skin, bruises, or punctures. Apples should have a smooth, clean, shiny skin and possess a color that is consistent with their variety. Color is the best indicator of taste. Overripe apples will be soft and lack a firm crunch.

Tips on storing apples: Apples can be stored safely in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Apples left at room temperature for more than 48 hours will turn soft.

Carol Ann

Carol Ann Kates is the award-winning author of cookbook, Secret Recipes from the Corner Market, and international Amazon best-selling and award-winning author of Grocery Shopping Secrets. She’s an expert in how to shop, select, and store produce for maximizing home cooking outcomes and minimizing time and money spent. As a former supermarket and deli operator, Carol Ann shares grocery-insider wisdom—the same expertise you used to receive when patronizing a mom-and-pop establishment. Contact her at CarolAnn@CarolAnnKates.com and explore her website, www.CarolAnnKates.com.

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