Spiced Apple Crostada
Flavorful apples in a flakey pastry crust, accented with fresh caramel and whipped cream
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 4 oz Unsalted Butter - cut into small pieces
- 8 oz All-purpose Flour
- 3 oz Ice Cold Water - more or less as needed
- pinch Salt
For the Filling and Decorating
- 2 Apples - peeled and sliced
- 1 tsp Ginger - grated
- 1/4 cup Packed Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Allspice
- 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
- 1/4 tsp Cardamom
- 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tbsp Orange Juice
- 1 Egg - lightly beaten
- Decorating Sugar Crystals
For the Stabilized Whipped Cream
- 1 cup Cream
- 1 Tbsp Powdered Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla or Vanilla Paste
- 1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
For the Caramel
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 stick Butter - cut into small pieces
- 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
Instructions
For the Crust
- In a medium bowl, mix together salt and flour.
- Add butter, and using either your hands or a pastry cutter, cut butter into the flour. (I prefer to use my hands and “flake” the butter.)
- Add water in 2-Tablespoon increments and mix with a fork until the dough just comes together. (Tips: Be careful not to overwork the dough or add too much water – both make for a tough crust and can cause shrinkage.)
- Shape into a disc and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
For the Spice Mixture
- In a large bowl, mix together the ginger, brown sugar, spices, cornstarch, vanilla, and orange juice. Combine well.
- Toss the apples in the spice mixture and set aside.
For the Assembly
- Start your fire and preheat your wood or gas-fired oven to approximately 350 deg F. Pus the fire and coals to the back or side of your oven and sweep the cooking floor.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out the dough so it is approximately a 12” circle.
- Fold into quarters and gently transfer the dough to a cast iron pan. Unfold into the pan, allowing the extra dough to drape over the sides.
- Make two to three circles of apple slices in the bottom, leaving a 1 ½” gap to the edge of the pan.
- Pour any remaining spice mix juice over the apples.
- Next, gently fold the crust over the outside edge of the apple layer, folding an overlap into the edges using your finger as a fulcrum every inch or two. (See video above for a demo of the technique.)
- When the edges are all folded in, brush the beaten egg around the top and sides of the crust using a pastry brush, and then sprinkle decorative sugar crystals (your own desired amount) on top of the crust.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the crust has browned and the apples are tender. Do keep an eye on your crostada, as the crust can scorch quickly if the heat flairs or the pan is too close to the fire. Using long, heat-resistant gloves, rotate your pan a few times during baking so that the edges are exposed evenly to the extra heat from the flames.
- Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Tip: Be sure to place the pan on a rack so that the bottom doesn’t get soggy during cooling, but note that is easier to remove the crostada from the cast iron pan while it is still a little warm to prevent the crust from sticking.
For the Whipped Cream
- Add cream to a bowl or stand mixer bowl. Whip to soft peaks.
- Next, add sugar, vanilla, and cream of tartar. Whip to stiff peaks.
- Then remove and refrigerate until ready to use. This whipped cream should hold for up to 3 days.
For the Caramel
- Add sugar to a heavy-bottomed pan. As sugar melts, begin to stir gently with a whisk. As soon as the sugar is melted, add butter pieces as you continue to whisk.
- Once all the butter is added and the bubbling has settled down, take it off the heat and slowly add the heavy whipping cream, continuing to whisk until fully incorporated. Set aside to cool.
To Serve
- Remove from pan and cut into wedges with a sharp knife. Drizzle caramel over the slice and top with a dollop of Whipped Cream, if desired.