Crostata Autunnale-Autumn Crostata is a lovely Italian dessert. The filing has apples, pears, and warm cinnamon. This free-form version of the iconic Italian dessert is so easy to make!
I have a thing for crostatas. I especially love the ease of a free-formed crostata. Unpretentious and rustic, it is one of my favorite Italian deserts. I make them very often.
Fall has arrived here. Snow is falling in parts of Texas and in the Northeast. Yesterday we were experiencing the torrential rains from Hurricane Rina that is thankfully, no longer a threat to us. A hurricane at the end of October is pretty normal for our parts of the world.This is the time of the year where no matter how hot it still is here, we crave comfort dinners and desserts.
This is one of my favorite comfort Italian desserts. I'm honored to have been chosen by Foodbuzz to share one of my favorite comfort food recipes to help support Electrolux's endeavor to end ovarian cancer.
Let's talk about how simple dimple it is to make this crostata. If you're afraid of tackling a pie crust and making it look pretty in a pie plate, this is the crust for you! Caramelize the fruit with the butter and the sugar while the dough is chilling. Roll out the dough, place it on your baking sheet and add your delicious fruit.
Stick it in the oven while you're eating dinner. A gorgeous dessert will soon be ready to enjoy after dinner. And you barely broke a sweat!
I love to prepare one to have ready for the kids to eat after school. Nothing like a slice of this delicious crostata to ease the burden of dealing with homework and a long day at school. And when the temperatures eventually cool down, a comforting hot cup of tea goes sweetly with this easy and tasty dessert.
The first thing to make is the simple and flaky crust.
Next step is to cook up the filling in a small pan.
Once you cook up the filling, you roll out the pastry, add the filling. It's ready to bake!
Crostata Autunnale-Autumn Crostata
Ingredients
- Pasta Frolla recipe:
- 300 grams 10.54 ouncespastry flour
- 200 grams 7.025 ounces unsalted butter
- 100 grams 3.512 ounces sugar
- 1 whole egg and 1 yolk 60 grams eggs
- 1 beaten egg to brush on before baking
- Filling:
- 2 medium apples
- 2 pears
- 6 dried apricots I used Turkish apricots
- 4 tablespoons apricot jam
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Put the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse briefly to combine the ingredients. Distribute the butter around the bowl and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Add the egg and egg yolk and process until the dough just begins to come together.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gather it together. Knead it briefly and shape it into a disk. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1hour, until well chilled.
- When it is nicely chilled, remove from the refrigerator. Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap into a 13-inch round about ⅛-inch thick or slightly thicker.
- Carefully place the dough on parchment lined baking sheet.
- Filling:
- In a small bowl, add the fruit and cinnamon. Mix it all together and let sit for a minute. In a medium sauté pan, add the butter over medium heat. Toss in the fruits and let it cook for a few minutes. Toss in the sugar and let it cook together for about another 5 minutes.
- When filling is ready, spoon the filling around the center of the dough. Leave about 1 inch space around the border. Fold the dough free-form style towards the filling. Brush the beaten egg around the dough.
- Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until golden colored. Serve at room temperature.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
This looks so good...going to have to try to figure out how to make the crust gluten-free for my family.
Fabulous and screams fall!
This looks beautiful! I love the addition of the apricots as well. Yum!
I just had dinner and the crostata looks sooo good...wish I had a piece! I don't use my food processor nearly enough, this is a good reason to!
Pears, apple and apricot???? I'm drooling just thinking of this! You have mastered the crostata and I want to try each of them you post...I better get cracking 🙂 Hope you've had a lovely weekend, Lora! xo
This looks so delicious! It's a rainy Sunday afternoon...perfect time to make this!
I just got my first food processor and I am dying to try it out. This recipe looks great and is a bit more interesting that a typical apple crostata 🙂
I love the simplicity of crostatas. And hey, no dirty pie dish! This is perfect for autumn.
What a delicious looking crostata! Lovely and tempting 🙂
Hugs
this is spectacular lovely!
Absolutely autumy...love the peaches..apples and apricot in the crostata!
The rustic simplicity of a free form crostata appeals to me, too. Like a pie's free spirited sister 😉 Delicious - wish I had a piece with my morning coffee.
This looks so good.
wow, this looks awesome!
I love the look of crostatas and although I bake pies, I've never made a crostata. I think it's time to change that. Congrats on being selected by Foodbuzz to share this beautiful recipe to raise funds to help end ovarian cancer. I'd vote at Kelly Confidential but I'm in Canada and it's open only to US residents.
Here I am again with out a decent dinner in the house, no desire to cook and this crostata passes before me. No fair.
Hear that noise? That's my tummy grumbling and it's all your fault!
Definitely sounds like a way to beat the homework blues! Wish I had a slice right now after all the pasta I just consumed!
Your crostata are always so gorgeous, Lora!
This looks gorgeous and delicious! Yum!
absolutely delicious and beauty crostata! gloria