Apple Crostata, a rustic tart with freshly sliced apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, with a butter crust.
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
If you have a lot of apples, this apple crostata is one of the easiest desserts to make with it.
Crostata is the Italian term for a simple rustic cake or galette.
To make this apple crostata, we’ll mix some apple slices with lemon, sugar, cornstarch, and spices, roll out a round of dough, and arrange the apple slices in the center of the dough. Fold the edges of the pastry over the fruit and bake. It’s easy!
For more information on which apple varieties are best for baking, check out our guide to apples.
A little history…
When I moved into my house a few years ago, I planted an espalier apple tree. It came with apples on it and seemed so promising.
The tree blossomed for the next 3 years, but unfortunately no apples. Just this year when I spotted 7 beautiful apples on their lowest branches. Hooray! Finally!
Fortunately, my parents’ trees are laden with more apples than they can possibly consume. When it’s apple season, my dad makes applesauce and apple treats practically every day.
No-frills apple crostata
Dad loves making this apple crostata because she’s not too fussy. It tastes great and he doesn’t have to try to make it look pretty.
My father, at 85, is a practical man. He doesn’t have time for pretty (unless it’s my mom, who we think is the most beautiful woman we know), but he loves baked apples with cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, and butter.
This easy crostata is a perfect way to enjoy seasonal apples. The crust is on the thin side, which means you’re getting mostly apples with one serving. He tops it off with whipped cream, which he whipped up with a little powdered sugar and vanilla.
Best toppings for apple crostata
- French vanilla ice cream
- cinnamon icecream
- Caramel sauce
- whipped cream
More favorite apple desserts
- Apple Cake
- Simple baked apple slices
- apple cobbler
- apple chip
- Mile High Deep Dish Apple Pie
apple crostata
We’ve included instructions for making a simple buttery crust. You can also use a store-bought crust (flat or folded, not in a pie pan) to save time.
If possible, use a mixture of apple varieties for this tart. The result will be more interesting.
ingredients
Crust:
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1 1/4 cup (160G) all purpose flour
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1 teaspoon sugar
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1/2 teaspoon Salt (omit salt if using salted butter)
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8 tablespoons (1 stick, 113G) chilled buttercut into 1/2 inch cubes
Filling:
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1 3/4 pounds (800G) good cooking apples (Fuji, Jonagold, Pippin, Granny Smith), about 3 to 4 apples
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2 tablespoon lemon juice
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1 1/2 teaspoon Lemon peel
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1/2 Cup sugar
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2 tablespoon cornstarch
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1/2 teaspoon Cinammon
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1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
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Small prize Salt
End:
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1 protein
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1 teaspoon cream
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1 teaspoon sprinkle sugar (can use regular sugar)
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1 teaspoon butter
whipped cream:
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1/2 cup (120ml) fat whipped creamvery cold
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1 tablespoon powdered sugar
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1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
method
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make dough:
For the dough, place the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times.
Add half the butter and pulse 8 1 second pulses. Add the remaining butter and pulse several times until the largest piece of butter is no bigger than a pea.
Add 2 tablespoons of very cold water to the batter. Pulse a few times. Continue to add ice-cold water, one teaspoon at a time (no more than 3 teaspoons), until the dough just holds together when you pinch a little with your fingers.
Empty the bowl of the stand mixer onto a clean surface. Take the dough in your hands and form a ball. Flatten into a disc and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour.
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Peel apples, cut into slices, toss with lemon:
While the dough cools, peel, core, and slice the apples into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch slices. Place in a large bowl and drizzle with lemon juice and zest. Swirl the apple slices around in the bowl so they are all slightly coated in the lemon juice.
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Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, spices, then mix with the apples:
In a bowl, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt. Scatter over the apple slices and mix gently so that the apple slices are all well coated in the sugar mixture.
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Preheat the oven to 205°C
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Roll out dough:
Take the dough out of the fridge and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before rolling it out. Place on a lightly floured, clean surface and roll out into a 35cm round. (The round of dough will be on the thin side.) Pro tips: Don’t let the dough stick to the table. If it starts to stick, dust the surface with more flour. If the dough gets too soft to handle, place it in the fridge for a few minutes.
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Heap apples on dough:
Carefully transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment. Pile the apples in the center of the dough, leaving a 6 to 8 cm border around the edges. Carefully lift them up and drape the edges over the apples.
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Brush with egg yolk, sprinkle with sugar, dab with butter:
Beat egg white and cream until fluffy. Use a pastry brush to brush over the exposed areas of the crust. Sprinkle the top of the crostata with sugar. Brush the exposed apples with butter.
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Bake:
Bake at 205°C (400°F) for 45 minutes to 1 hour and check after about 30 minutes. When the apples start to brown, cover them with aluminum foil.
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Cool:
Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes to an hour before serving.
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make whipped cream:
To whip the cream, place the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl (sometimes I like to freeze the empty bowl so it stays colder while whipping the cream). Use a hand mixer to beat until you have soft peaks. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serve the apple crostata with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Links:
Peach Galette here on Simply Recipes
Apple Cheddar Galette here on Simply Recipes
Strawberry Raspberry Crostata by Joy the Baker
Pluot and Ginger Crostata by Honestly Yum
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 492 | calories |
| 25g | Fat |
| 64g | carbohydrates |
| 5g | protein |
