If I am making a dessert during the winter my 'go to' is often a crostata - a free form fruit tart. In her cookbook Barefoot Contessa Parties, Ina Garten says of her Apple Crostata, "This is my absolute, all-time favorite dessert. I've made it so often that I'm sure my friends are saying behind my back, 'No, not the apple crostata again'..." Having made it I can see why she loves to whip this up for company.
A) it is easy!
b) it tastes great.
Yes, it still requires making a pie crust and rolling it out. But the filling is not much more than a pile of fruit in the middle. And because you aren't transferring the dough to a pie plate, the rolling out is a very forgiving process. You make any amoeba shape that's somewhat circular and then just roughly fold and flop the edges over. You bake it on a sheet pan, so it's simple to cut and serve (no sacrificial first piece).
If you're looking for a easy, no fuss dessert you'll want to give this one a try.
Apple Crostata
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated or superfine sugar (I used granulated)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 pound (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter, diced
2 tablespoons ice water
1 1/2 pounds McIntosh, Macoun, or Empire apples (3 large)
1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup granulated or superfine sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I used 1/2 tsp)
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
For the pastry, place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough becomes a solid mass. Turn the dough onto a well-floured board and form into a disk. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (I chilled the dough for about 3 1/2 hours.)
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Flour a rolling pin and roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to a baking sheet.
For the filling, peel, core, and cut the apples into 8ths. Cut each wedge into 3 chunks. Toss the chunks with the orange zest. Cover the tart dough with the apple chunks leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.
Combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts holding together. Sprinkle evenly on the apples. Gently fold the border over the apples to enclose the dough, pleating it to make a circle.
Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes (mine needed about 28-30 minutes), until the crust is golden and the apples are tender. Allow to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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