APPLE CROSTATA

 Last week our quilters' canasta group met at Friend Susan's beautiful home that was decorated so pretty for Christmas. I should have taken a picture of her Christmas tree, but didn't think to ask. It must have been seven feet tall at least. 

I especially enjoyed seeing it since we are not putting up our tree again this year because of the cats. Hopefully next year we can since they will be two next summer. We placed our small one on the front stoop today so our neighbors can enjoy it as they drive by. I'm not sure how much inside decorating I will do either.

For dessert, Susan made this beautiful crostata. A tart (or pie) generally is made in a pie shell with sides giving it some structure, but a crostata or galette is baked flat on parchment paper atop of a cookie sheet or sheet pan. I've been wanting to make one for a while but just hadn't gotten around to it so I was really excited to see it on the counter. I was so excited about eating it that I forgot to take a picture of an individual serving. The only picture I took was this one:

It was so delicious! She also served it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The recipe calls for apples but Susan said she used apples and pears.( Pears that I had given her from our pear tree.) She also added a few fresh cranberries. I like fresh cranberries in my apple pies, too.

APPLE CROSTATA

Crust:

2-1/4   cup flour, divided

1/2      cup sugar, divided

3/4      teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1-1/4   cup unsalted butter (2-1/2 sticks) diced, very cold, divided

Filling:

1-1/2   lbs. McIntosh or Gala apples

1/4      teaspoon grated orange peel

1/4      teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8      teaspoon ground allspice

Prepare the crust: In a food processor, pulse 2 cups of flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until combined. Add 1 cup butter. With a fork toss the butter to coat with the flour. Pulse 12 to 15 times or until pea-size clumps form. With motor running, add 1/4 cup ice water through feed tube. Pulse to combine, stopping just before dough comes together completely.

Transfer the dough to a floured surface; pat into 2 even disks. Wrap each with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1(one) disk at least one hour; freeze the other disk for another use.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, with a rolling pin, roll dough into an 11-inch round. Transfer to prepared cookie sheet.

Prepare filling: Peel, core, and cut apples into quarters. Cut each quarter into 3 or 4 chunks. In a bowl, toss apples with orange peel. Arrange apples on dough round, leaving 1-1/2-inch border.

In the food processor, combine the cinnamon, allspice, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add remaining 1/4 cup butter, pulsing until mixture is crumbly. Transfer to a medium bowl. With fingers, rub mixture until clumps form. Sprinkle evenly over apples. Gently fold the edge of the dough over apples, pleating and pressing to make a circle.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown and apples are tender. Let crostata cool on pan on wire rack 5 minutes. Slide parchment paper with crostata onto wire rack and cool completely.

PRINT recipe.