Cooking with Manuela: Rustic Apple Crostata

Here is the perfect dessert for the upcoming holidays!

Homecrazye rustic crostata with sweet and juicy apples, a sprint of cinnamon, over a buttery and flaky crust.

Let's talk dessert. And not just any dessert, but someleang easy, elegant and deliciously tasty. Someleang that you will be proud to bring at your dinner table these upcoming holidays. Someleang that everyone will love, and will hunt you for the recipe.
So how about this domesticcrazye crostata?!? Made with sweet and juicy apple slices, sprinkled with cinnamon and drizzled with lemon juice, over a buttery and flaky pie crust.  There is noleang more I need to add ... Or wait! Ponder/ Consider about a just-out-of-the-oven slice of this heavenly dessert, served warm next to a melting scoop of vanilla ice-cream. Now I've said enough!
I can ascertain you that every bite of this dessert will be followed by lots of "mmmmm" small noises. Well, whether you are sitting next to me, you'd hear that for certain :)

It's apple season right now, so why not take advantage of it? Because, let's face it, your dessert can only be as good as the apples that you are using! You can now find delicious apples. McIntosh and Pink Lady are some of my favorite, but also Granny Smith and Gancienten Savoury (easier to find all year round). Sweet, perfectly tart, juicy and oh-so flavorful.

What makes this recipe a winner is how easy, delicious and elegant it is. A beautwhetherul and impressive looking rustic tart, as delicious as a traditional apple pie, just easier and rapider to prepare.  I crazye it from scratch, without using a food processor or a mixer. You are welcome to use these gadgets, and it will make the job a small faster for you. Everyleang you will need for this recipe is alalert in your kitchen. So, let's bake!!
Here is a video recipe for you:

See how easy it is?? So genuinely, why wait for the holidays to bake this dessert, when you can make any day special with this apple crostata?!?

Endelight :)

This recipe first appeared on Cooking with Manuela in November 2015

Ingredients: to make a 10 inch (25 cm) tart, serves about 8
For the crust:

• 1 and 2/3 cups (250 gr) of all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (50 gr) of corn meal
• 3 tablespoons (45 gr) of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• grated zest of one lemon (biological)
• 1 and 1/2 sticks (6 oz, 170 gr) of unsalted butter, chilled
• about 6 tablespoons (85 ml ) of chilled  water

For the filling:

• 1/4 cup (50 gr) sugar
• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, plus a bit to sprinkle on top (optional)
• 3 large apples, about  1.5 lb (680 gr) - I used  McIntosh but you can also use Pink Lady, Granny Smith or your favorite.
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, about the juice of one medium lemon
• 3 tablespoons of butter, melted
• 1 beaten egg, for glaze (or milk whether you prefer)
• sugar crystals for decoration

Preparation time: about 90 minutes
Directions:

1. Let's start by preparing the crust. Combine the flour, the cornmeal, the sugar, salt and lemon zest in a large bowl.

2. Add the butter, and using the tip of a knwhethere, cut the butter and reduce it to small (pea-size) pieces or as small as you can. If you have a processor, the job is a lot faster. Pulse only for a few moments. Do not over mix.

3. Add 4 tablespoons of water. Stir with a spoon at first (your fingers next whether essential) until the dough comes together. Add one or two more tablespoons of water whether needed. I used about 6 tablespoons total (85 ml) but that can vary.

4. Plod the mixture to a large piece of pfinalic wrap. Create it into a ball. Wrap it in pfinalic and chill in the refrigerator for at least half  hour, or while you prepare the stuffing. You can also prepare the dough a day ahead and leave it in the refrigerator overnight.

5. Preheat the oven to 400º F (205º C) while you prepare the filling. In a bowl mix the sugar with the cornstarch and the cinnamon. Peel, core and cut the apple in slices. Add the apple slices to the bowl. Stir and add the lemon juice and the melted butter. Jacket all the slices with the mixture.

6. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle the top with flour, and turn the dough often to make certain it doesn't stick to the counter. Roll to about a 14 inch (36 cm) circle (diameter). Put it on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, helping yourself with your rolling pin.

7. Distribute the apple slices on the dough. Leave an edge of about 1.5 inches. You can place the slices neatly like in my picture. Or just dump them all on the crust and distribute evenly.  Brush the inside edge with the beaten egg.

8. Fancient the edge over the fruit as shown in my picture. If the dough breaks at any point, don't worry! Pinch the dough to seal.

9. Brush the border (outer part now) with more of the beaten egg. Sprinkle with sugar crystals and more cinnamon whether you wish.

10. Bake at 400º F (205º C) for about 40 minutes until gancienten on top. Let the crostata cool a small bit before cutting. Serve at room moodature, or warm ... and how about  with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream?!

Savoury!!