Apple Crostata

I went apple picking at Demarest Farms with my church small group this past weekend.  It was a beautiful day for a hayride, climbing trees, and picking apples, of course!

Now I have 7 pounds of apples to work with and I have been thinking about all the things I want to do with them.

The first thing I decided to make was Apple Crostata, which is a rustic, free-form, apple pie.  

Apple Crostata

1 recipe of Pate Brisee (below)

3 T. melted unsalted butter

4 T. sugar

2 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/8" thick
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon



1. Roll out dough to 12" circle on parchment paper
2. Brush with a little melted butter (reserve the rest)
3. Sprinkle with 1 T. sugar
4. Arrange apples, overlapping slightly in concentric circles, leaving 1" border
5. Brush remaining butter on apples
6. Sprinkle apples with remaining sugar and cinnamon
7. Fold over the edge of dough to form an edge on the apples
8. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, lower to 350 and bake 10 more minutes

Pate Brisee (Pastry Dough)
1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. cold unsalted butter
1/8 c. vegetable shortening (tip: shortening in blocks is easier to measure)
3 T. ice water

1. Stir together flour and salt
2. Cut butter and shortening into the flour until dough is pea-sized consistency
3. Sprinkle dough with iced water and mix dough lightly to form a ball



My little helper rolling out the dough

 

Sprinkling cinnamon sugar on the apples




Enjoying the fruits of his labor!