Best ever apple dessert
Ina Garten’s Apple Crostata is a delightful and approachable dessert that captures the essence of fall in every bite. With its flaky crust and perfectly spiced apple filling, this recipe is sure to become a favorite for autumn gatherings or a cozy night in. Enjoy the simple pleasures of the season with this charming and delicious treat that will have everyone asking for seconds.
Apple pie is undeniably the most popular and most delicious of all American pie desserts. However, this Apple Crostata has replaced Apple Pie in my kitchen. It is so much easier to make and loaded with wonderful, soul warming flavors. My favorite thing about this dish is the slow roasted flavor of the apples. Because the it’s an open faced pie, the fruit is exposed to the warm, oven air and the apples roast rather than steam like they would in an enclosed pie. The result is just amazing!
In the original recipe, Ina Garten makes her own pie crust as many people do. However, the truth is, I’m not much of a baker and rarely have the extra time to make a crust. So I typically use a good quality store bought pie crust, like Immaculate Pie Co which I buy in the refrigerated section at Whole Foods, which we all know isn’t as good as homemade, but it’s better than not making pie at all!
Ina Garten’s Apple Crostata
Ingredients
- 1 store bought pie crust Recommended: Immaculate Pie Crust
- 1 1/2 lbs pounds McIntosh, Macoun, or Empire apples (3 large)
- 1/4 tsp teaspoon grated orange zest
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/4 cup granulated or superfine sugar
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 1/4 ground allspice
- 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
Instructions
- 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. (It doesn't need to be perfect!)
- 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, until the crust is golden and the apples are tender. Allow to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
1 thought on “Apple Crostata”
Fortunately, my parents’ trees are loaded with more apples than they can possibly use. When it’s apple season my father makes applesauce and apple treats practically every day.