Ingredients
Pastry:
1½ cup all-purpose flour
8T butter, cut into cubes and cold
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. granulated sugar
8T iced, cold water
Filling:
3-4 medium size apples (about 1½ pounds): (gala, pink lady, or pipen)
2T brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1 egg, beaten
2T turbinado or Demerara sugar
1. Pastry: In a food processor, add the flour, salt, and sugar; pulse a few times until combined.
2. Add the butter and then pulse until the mixture has bits of butter the size of peas.
3. Add the cold water and pulse just until the mixture starts to come together. Dump the dough onto a large piece of plastic film: use the plastic to bring the dough together.
4. Flatten into a disk and chill at least 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 400° F. If you have a pizza stone, place it on a rack in the middle of the oven.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into a circle about 14 inches in diameter,
6b. Transfer the dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet pan. Place in refrigerator for 10 minutes.
7. Fruit: Peel and cut the apples into slices. Place in a medium size bowl and toss with brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins and nuts.
8. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator. Pile the apple nut mixture on the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the dough border over the fruit, making pleats and making sure that there are no holes.
9. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
10. Place the baking sheet into a 400° oven directly on the pizza stone for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown, until brown.
11. Carefully pull on the parchment paper to remove the crostata from the baking sheet and place onto a cooling rack; cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Tips & Tricks:
- Pastry can be made 3 days ahead and kept in refrigerator. Place disc into a ziplock bag and freeze. It freezes beautifully up to 3 months. Defrost in refrigerator overnight.
- Use any firm apple that is your favorite or in season.
- Use regular or golden raisins.
- You can also use different nuts; almonds, pecans or hazelnuts are delicious.
- The turbinado or demerara sugar adds a nice sweet crunch to the pastry.
- Baking the crostata on a pizza stone helps the crust brown and keep crispy.
- The crostata is best served warm to room temperature.
- 1 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
- 8T Butter, Cut into cubes and cold
- 1tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Granulated Sugar
- 8T Iced, Cold Water
- 4 Medium Medium Sized Apples About 1 1/2 Pounds - Gala, Pink Lady, or Pipen
- 2T Brown Sugar
- 1tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 Cup Raisins
- 1/4 Cup Walnuts Roughly Chopped
- 1 Egg Beaten
- 2T Turbinado or Demerara Sugar
