I got this awesome recipe from the Martha Stewart Thanksgiving Central site. There are a whopping 71 pies and tarts in her recipe collection but my Dad and I decided that we really wanted to try this awesome Apple Crostata with a free form crust. This (obviously) is Martha’s photo:
Clearly a Martha Photo + Project
It was surprisingly easy to make and it looked really sophisticated when it came out.
Rolling the Crust
Make the Crust first:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- Salt
- 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
- 1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
Directions
- Pulse flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. Drizzle 1/4 cup water evenly over mixture. Pulse until mixture just begins to hold together (dough should not be wet or sticky). If dough is too dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse. Add cheese; pulse until combined.
- Shape dough into 2 disks, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes or up to overnight. (A-M Note: This dough is so delicious that I cannot possibly overestimate the difficulty of not eating it raw and having no crust for the dessert.)
Doesn’t this look rustic and yummy?
For The Filling
- 2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith or Gala, plus 2 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/2-inch wedges
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup apricot preserves, warmed
- Make the crust: Roll out dough to a 13-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick, on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Make the filling: Toss together apples, granulated sugar, flour, lemon juice, and cinnamon.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread filling over dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold edges in to form a crust; brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. (A-M Note: I just used regular sugar.) Refrigerate until edges are firm, about 30 minutes.
Ready to Devour!
- Bake crostata until apples are tender and crust is golden, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Let cool slightly. Brush apples with apricot preserves. (A-M Note: I let my crostata cool too much and the Apricot Preserves did not melt into the apples and instead stuck on top. I then microwaved it all hoping it would get gooey and melt down into the pie. Yeah, eh, not so much. But, it was still total deliciousness!)
Try this amazing recipe next time you need to make a dessert. It’s easy. It’s fast and it’s a crowd pleaser. The Cheddar Cheese + sweetness of the Apples is an unexpectedly perfect pairing.
I have had good luck thinning glazes like that with a little lemonade ( the organic frozen can , that has been diluted 1-3… )
if, like yours they are going atop a colder product, heating the glaze will definitely help… or a minute under the broiler with the crust covered in foil…
haha…such lovely simple problems to work out ! thanks for the delightful distraction !!
laurie
Hi Laurie!
Thanks for the tip, that is such a great idea and I will definitely will pass it on. =)
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Anne-Marie, you post the very best recipes – thank you! I love making rustic tarts and this cheese crust sounds great! It is hard not to slather you with compliments 🙂 because I really do love your soaping and fragrance supplies and have had a blast experimenting with your recipe posts! Blessings to you and your family!
Thanks for letting me know that you like our recipes – yippeee! And yes, the cheese crust was absolutely amazing. I ate so much of it before we cooked it that it was definitely short for the actual dessert =)
Anne-Marie, you have hit two in a row that I am going to make for the holidays! The Christmas season is so busy for our business that it can sometimes be difficult to muster excitement and energy for our own special holiday time with family and friends. Finally this year we have managed to parse the workload and find a balance. Your recipes and clever mixing of work and homemaker posts are an inspiration for juggling the many balls comprising both business and pleasure. Thank you and Merry Christmas.
Congrats on finding a great mix between work and family. That is quite a feat. =) It’s always a struggle…. but one that is very worthwhile.
Merry Christmas to you and your family as well.
This sounds awesome! Not sure if anyone else commented yet, but perhaps heating the preserves a bit would help?
Thanks Ann-Marie! Happy Holidays! <3
I tried microwaving the preserve but that just made it strangely sticky but I bet putting the preserves on when the crostata was fresh out of the oven would have made the preserves run down like they were supposed to.