Mini Apple Crostata

This Apple Crostata was the “winning dessert” on a recent baking day and was featured on the “Italian Date Night” menu at Cohort 19’s Youth-Led Dinner. Trainees (and our guests!) loved it, and we hope you will, too! These mini pies are delicious on their own, dressed up with some powdered sugar or served with ice cream or creme anglaise. Give them a try, and let us know what you think!

Mini Apple Crostata

Recipe yield: 8 small pies

Ingredients:

Crostata dough

  • 3 cups AP flour

  • 1 cup fine Cornmeal

  • 2 teaspoon Kosher salt

  • 10 oz Unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

  • 2/3 cup Ice water 

Apple filling

  • 6 each Medium-large apples, diced

  • Zest of 1 orange

  • 1/4 cup AP flour

  • 1/4 cup White granulated sugar

  • 1/4 tsp Kosher salt

  • 1/4 tsp Ground cinnamon

  • 1/8 tsp Ground allspice

  • 2 oz Unsalted butter, diced

Method of Preparation:

Mise en place: read your recipe, gather all ingredients, then gather tools, measure, then start preparing.

  1. First, prepare your crust:

    1. Combine flour, cornmeal, butter, and salt in a food processor. Pulse 10-15 times until butter is finely chopped, with no pieces large than a corn kernel.

    2. With food processor running, add in cold water. Run until a dough forms.

    3. Remove from processor, wrap, and keep cold until ready to form pies. 

  2. Next, make filling:

    1. Combine all filling ingredients, folding together until fully combined.

    2. Reserve cold until ready to make pies.

  3. Next, roll pies:

    1. Roll pie dough into a manageable size (this might mean multiple batches of rolling for you). Roll to ¼” thick. Cut into approximately 5-6” rounds, taking care to ensure consistency. 

    2. Place filling into the center of each round, leaving 1.5” of spce to fold the pastry closed. 

    3. Fold the outside edge in, pleating the edges over one another decoratively. Brush sides with egg wash and place on parchment lined sheet trays. Cool before baking. 

  4. Finally, bake pies:

    1. Preheat oven to 375. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until crust is golden brown and filling is cooked. If pies begin to burn before done, cover with foil. Rest and serve.

Faith Emerson