#apple crostada

[chouhatsuteki]

Apple Crostada from Maggiano’s Italian Restaurant. Probably the best dessert item on the menu. 

[eatwithyoureyesonly]

Mini Apple Galette Crumbles - These Apple Cinnamon Galettes are topped off with a buttery pecan crumble - irresistible with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

[pennykitchen-blog]

Apple Almond Crostada with Orange Scented Whip

I love rebels, and I love pies, this is the rebel of pies. These are so much fun, except for the first time that you make them. Now, I have made a handful of these and they DO get easier. First step is not to panic, without a pie pan or any security of a baking dish or anything that holds the form of this pastry item, other than your will, it is easy to panic. DON'T PANIC! STOP PANICKING!   A free form galette, or crostada, can be filled with all sorts of stuff. In the summer time, a Strawberry Rhubarb Crostada is bah-nanas. Thank you bravo.

Serves 4-8, depending on the girth of yo' slice.

For Crust:

1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour, plus more for dusting.

1 t sugar

1 pinch cinnamon

1 pinch sea salt

1 stick of butter, cubed and very cold

1/3 cup ice water, you won't use it all...

1 egg, beaten and set aside. 

2 T white sugar set aside.

For Filling:

5 granny smith apples, cored and sliced.

1/2 lemon, juiced.

1/4 cup maple syrup

3 T white sugar

1/2 t salt

1/8 t cinnamon

mixture of 1t of each, flour, white sugar, brown sugar.

6 oz of almond paste.

For cream:

1 pint heavy cream

3 T confectioners sugar

1 t orange zest.

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. For crust, place dry ingredients in to a food processor and dot with butter, pulse while streaming in ice water one tablespoon at a time. Dough is done when it looks like wet sand and slightly pulls aways from the sides. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Keep your egg wash and reserve sugar for later.

3.For filling, mix all ingredients together, except for the  almond paste and  the flour and sugars mixture.  Make sure to evenly coat the apple slices with all that mapley goodness.

4. Roll out almond paste to about 1/4 inch thick. If you are planning forming your Crostada oblong or square, roll out your almond paste accordingly, this will line the bottom of your crust. Set aside.

5. Time to roll your dough, dust counter surface with reserve flour and roll out dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer your rolled crust onto oven ready tray. Sprinkle flour and sugars mixture about the center, this will absorb some excess liquid as you bake your amazing Crostada. Now lay rolled out almond paste in the center of your crust. Time to fill!

6. Dump your apple filling, or arrange in a pretty pretty design if you are CRAZY, in to the center of your crust, leaving about a 3 inch 'skirt' of crust. Trim if needed so you have equal lengths to work with, as I have NOT shown below. 

7. Make slits around the 'skirt' and fold one piece at a time over the filling, overlapping each piece as you go. Look it!

8. Now you have your little Apple Crostada all swaddled and ready to go! Now is the time to add any cutsey designs to the top. I choose stars a lot. They don't seem to be very controversial and are pretty simple to cut out without a cookie cutter, so give it a try!

9. Take a brush to your egg wash and swipe over all exposed crust and sprinkle with reserved sugar, this will help your Crostada brown and give it a shine. 

10. Throw it in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Check on it 15 minutes into your bake time and rotate. Your masterpiece is done when it is golden brown and smelly goody.

Tips:

I like to slice my apples quite thin. It is not that important what kind or size you go with, just that each slice is more or less the same, so they all have the same cook time. If you go with thicker apple slices for your filling, you can pre- cook your filling  slightly stove top before your fill your crust.

Lemon juice or acidulated water will keep your apples from oxidising,(browning). If you  are slicing your apps. ahead of time then make sure to keep them stored in a bowl of cool water and lemon juice. 

You can go nuts. Add nuts to your filling if you want.

You can spike that whip topper. Try whisky or bourbon, prob jager too....maybe not. 

Rolling pie crust=is a bitch. In school they would say, you aren't doing it right unless you sweat. This is true- youtube techniques if you want. Start from the center of your dough blob and always roll away from you, keeping equal and level weight as you complete each roll. You want to avoid applying extra pressure as you reach the edge, that would make for nada even crust. You can roll out crust between parchment, this will help with sticking and will be easy to rotate as you roll. Ughhh, just look it up if you are having troubles.

If you are awesome at decorative pie shapes and characters- try for a turkey for a Thanksgiving Galette! Like my crazy talented ol' roomie, Kathleen!-

OR-

awww, me and Kathleen- the Thanksgiving Crostada Turkey cutout Pastry Chef supreme!