Apple Crostata With Spiced Caramel Sauce
Serves: 2
Cecile Bahringer
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
53
Spice
48
Sweetness
47
Sourness
40
mins
Prep time (avg)
4.7
Difficulty
Ingredients:
2 cups
All-Purpose Flour1 cup
Granulated Sugar1 tsp
Salt1 large
Egg1 tsp
Pure Vanilla Extract1 tsp
Lemon Juice (fresh)1 tsp
Cinnamon1 cup
Apricot Preserve1 tsp
Water1 cup
Heavy Cream1 tsp
Pumpkin Pie SpiceDirections:
1
Make dough: Blend together flour, sugar, salt, zest, and butter in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until mixture resembles coarse meal
2
Whisk together egg and vanilla in a small bowl and drizzle over flour mixture, then gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated and dough begins to form large clumps
3
Gather all dough together, then divide dough in half and form each half into a 5- to 6-inch disk
4
Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until more firm, but not hard, about 30 minutes
5
Blend together flour, sugar, salt, zest, and butter in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until mixture resembles coarse meal
6
Whisk together egg and vanilla in a small bowl and drizzle over flour mixture, then gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated and dough begins to form large clumps
7
Gather all dough together, then divide dough in half and form each half into a 5- to 6-inch disk
8
Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until more firm, but not hard, about 30 minutes
9
Make filling while dough chills: Melt butter in a heavy, wide 6- to 8-quart pot over medium-high heat
10
Stir in brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, and apples, and cook, uncovered, stirring and turning apples over occasionally, until apples soften and juices thicken and begin to caramelize, 10 to 15 minutes (lower heat if apple mixture browns too quickly)
11
Transfer to a shallow bowl and chill until cooled
12
Melt butter in a heavy, wide 6- to 8-quart pot over medium-high heat
13
Stir in brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, and apples, and cook, uncovered, stirring and turning apples over occasionally, until apples soften and juices thicken and begin to caramelize, 10 to 15 minutes (lower heat if apple mixture browns too quickly)
14
Transfer to a shallow bowl and chill until cooled
15
Assemble crostata: Heat oven to 350°F with rack in middle
16
Invert bottom of springform pan (to make it easier to slide crostata off bottom), then lock pan
17
Generously butter springform pan and chill or freeze briefly to firm up butter
18
Press one disk of dough evenly onto bottom and 1 inch up side of pan (use the smooth bottom of a metal measuring cup to help make it even)
19
Chill tart shell
20
Roll out remaining disk of dough between 2 sheets of wax paper into a 10-inch round (dough will be very tender)
21
Peel off top sheet of paper, then cut dough into 10 (3/4-inch-wide) strips and slide (still on paper) onto a baking sheet
22
Chill until firm, about 15 minutes in refrigerator or 5 minutes in freezer
23
Spoon apple filling in shell, distributing slices evenly
24
Arrange 5 strips of dough parallel to each other, 1 inch apart, on filling, trimming edges flush with edge of pan (dough will tear easily; patch any breaks with fingers)
25
Arrange remaining 5 strips diagonally across first strips, 1 inch apart, to form a lattice, and trim edges
26
Gather remaining dough and roll into several long, 1/4-inch-thick ropes
27
Press enough ropes around edge of crostata in a single layer, smoothing seams with fingers, to form an even edge (you will have a little dough left over)
28
Bake crostata until pastry is pale golden, 50 minutes to 1 hour
29
Near end of baking, heat apricot preserves with 1 teaspoon water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring, until melted, then strain through a sieve into a small bowl
30
When crostata is done, brush top with warm apricot glaze
31
Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack, then remove side of pan
32
Heat oven to 350°F with rack in middle
33
Invert bottom of springform pan (to make it easier to slide crostata off bottom), then lock pan
34
Generously butter springform pan and chill or freeze briefly to firm up butter
35
Press one disk of dough evenly onto bottom and 1 inch up side of pan (use the smooth bottom of a metal measuring cup to help make it even)
36
Chill tart shell
37
Roll out remaining disk of dough between 2 sheets of wax paper into a 10-inch round (dough will be very tender)
38
Peel off top sheet of paper, then cut dough into 10 (3/4-inch-wide) strips and slide (still on paper) onto a baking sheet
39
Chill until firm, about 15 minutes in refrigerator or 5 minutes in freezer
40
Spoon apple filling in shell, distributing slices evenly
41
Arrange 5 strips of dough parallel to each other, 1 inch apart, on filling, trimming edges flush with edge of pan (dough will tear easily; patch any breaks with fingers)
42
Arrange remaining 5 strips diagonally across first strips, 1 inch apart, to form a lattice, and trim edges
43
Gather remaining dough and roll into several long, 1/4-inch-thick ropes
44
Press enough ropes around edge of crostata in a single layer, smoothing seams with fingers, to form an even edge (you will have a little dough left over)
45
Bake crostata until pastry is pale golden, 50 minutes to 1 hour
46
Near end of baking, heat apricot preserves with 1 teaspoon water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring, until melted, then strain through a sieve into a small bowl
47
When crostata is done, brush top with warm apricot glaze
48
Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack, then remove side of pan
49
Make caramel sauce while crostata bakes: Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer, then remove from heat and keep hot, covered
50
Stir sugars together with 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice in a heavy 2 1/2- to 3-quart saucepan, then cook undisturbed over medium heat until mixture is partially melted (reduce heat if mixture turns dark around edge)
51
Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until completely melted and mixture is a deep golden caramel
52
Carefully pour in hot cream (mixture will bubble up and caramel may harden slightly) and quickly whisk in pumpkin pie spice and salt
53
Reduce heat and simmer, stirring, until caramel is dissolved and sauce is reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes
54
Remove from heat and whisk in butter until melted
55
Transfer to a glass measure to let cool slightly
56
To serve, either slide crostata from pan bottom onto a flat serving plate or serve on pan bottom
57
Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer, then remove from heat and keep hot, covered
58
Stir sugars together with 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice in a heavy 2 1/2- to 3-quart saucepan, then cook undisturbed over medium heat until mixture is partially melted (reduce heat if mixture turns dark around edge)
59
Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until completely melted and mixture is a deep golden caramel
60
Carefully pour in hot cream (mixture will bubble up and caramel may harden slightly) and quickly whisk in pumpkin pie spice and salt
61
Reduce heat and simmer, stirring, until caramel is dissolved and sauce is reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes
62
Remove from heat and whisk in butter until melted
63
Transfer to a glass measure to let cool slightly
64
To serve, either slide crostata from pan bottom onto a flat serving plate or serve on pan bottom