Apple and Dried Cherry Crostata

Do any of you out there have pie phobia?  You know, the deep fear in your stomach that tells you there is no way you are skilled enough to make a gorgeous pie with a perfectly fluted crust?  I’m a little ways past that, and know that I can make the aforementioned gorgeous pie, but somehow my results are rather inconsistent.  Sometimes I pull a sparkling paragon of pie beauty from the oven and sometimes I open the oven door to find a half collapsed crust and filling that’s bubbled all over the oven.  Still tastes good, but it’s not going to win any beauty contests.

I’ve been looking for just about any way to use up apples after our abundant harvest while apple picking two weeks ago.  I think this is my favorite use for the apples so far.  It has all the iconic taste of that fall superstar, apple pie, and the tart dried cherries add a sweet-puckery layer to the apple-y, cinnamon-y flavors of traditional apple pie.  It smells absolutely divine when it’s baking.  And the taste isn’t too far off from that.  Topped with a little vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream and this is about fall dessert perfection for me.

Apple and Dried Cherry Crostata
Ingredients

For the Crust
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 c. cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp. raw sugar

For the Filling
1/2 c. sugar
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
pinch of salt
2 1/2 pounds Macintosh apples (about 5 large), peeled, quartered, cored, and cut into thin slices
1 c. dried tart cherries
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

In a food processor, blend flour, salt, and sugar briefly to combine.  Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

With the machine running, add 1/4 c. ice cold water and process until it starts to clump together.  Pour out onto a sheet of plastic wrap (dough will still be crumbly).

Press together with your hands to make a ball.  Flatten the ball into a disc about the size of your open hand, wrap in the plastic, and refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat oven to 400º.

In a large bowl, mix the sugar for the filling with the cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.  Add the sliced apples, dried cherries, and lemon juice and toss to coat.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a floured wooden cutting board.  Rub some flour on a rolling pin and roll out until the dough is a large circle.  Aim to make it a few inches wider than your baking sheet’s shorter side.

Place the rolling pin at the far end of one side of the circle.  Gently roll the dough around the rolling pin, then pick it up, place it on a parchement-lined baking sheet, and unroll it.

Mound the apple filling in the center of the dough.  Flatten it out a bit to center it on the dough round.

Gently fold the edges up and over the filling, one section at a time, and press and crimp to seal the dough in place.

Brush the beaten egg over the crust edges and sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake for an hour, until the crust is golden.

Let cool slightly or to room temperature and serve with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.