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Apple Pie. A wonderful thing. I can’t remember the last time Suzen and I made one. Pumpkin Pie of course every Thanksgiving. But apple?

We’ve made the transition that many of you have. We’ve gone from pie to tart, or, technically crostata. My daughter visited me recently for my birthday, a surprise visit, and made this dessert for my birthday dinner, a supreme dessert surprise. She credits the recipe coming from Fine Cooking. I’m repeating it here in Kelly’s “Joy of Cooking” format which integrates the recipe instructions and ingredients into one continuous flow.

Kelly seems to emulate her father and step-mother. She has an entire personal collection of recipes like this one, all assembled in a 25 Meg Word document. I have an online collection of 6,000 recipes. And Suzen did run the test kitchen for the last two editions for The Joy of Cooking. Kids may grow up, they may move three thousand miles away, but you are never separated.

I had a great birthday and a perfect dessert.


Kelly’s Rustic Apple Tart [or Crostata!]

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Combine in a mixer: 1½ cups flour, 2 teaspoons sugar, ½ teaspoon salt
  3. Add in 11 tablespoons of unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces, on low power for approximately 2 minutes.
  4. Mix in a small bowl: 1 egg yolk, 3 tablespoons milk
  5. Add milk mixture to flour mixture on low speed until just blended, approximately 15 seconds.
  6. Turn dough onto floured surface, knead 4 times, and roll out into 14-inch diameter circle.
  7. Put on parchment-lined non-rimmed baking sheet.
  8. Combine in a bowl: 4 cups peeled, thinly sliced apple and ¼ cup sugar
  9. Add to the apples: 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon cloves, 1 tablespoon flour, and ¼ teaspoon salt
  10. Heap apple mixture on top of dough and spread to within 3 inches of edge.
  11. Fold edges up, pleating as needed.
  12. Using a pastry brush, brush the dough with 1 egg, beaten.
  13. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar on the dough and fruit.
  14. Bake for 55 minutes.

Photo Information: Canon T2i, EFS 60 mm Macro Lens, F/4 for 1/40th second at ISO‑640