Apple Crostata

November Daring Bakers' challenge was to make a crostata, and the first we thought about was apple one, since we were loaded up with apples from Ivan's uncle front yard.

The challenge was hosted by Simona from Briciole. I planned to post it earlier today but we were invited to have a tea with our friends Dessie and Nikolay and we had a wonderful lazy day with honey cookies, apple cake and brioche rolls made especially for us from Dessie's mother.

Apple Crostata Recipe:

For the Pasta Frolla:

• 90 gr powdered sugar;
• 235 gr cake or all purpose flour;
• a pinch of salt;
• 115 gr cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces;
• grated zest of half a lemon;
• 1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten in a small bowl

Whisk together sugar, flour, lemon zest and salt in a bowl.

Rub or cut the butter into the flour until the mixture has the consistency of coarse crumbs. You can do this in the bowl or on your work surface, using your fingertips or an implement of choice.

Make a well in the center of the mounded flour and butter mixture and pour the beaten eggs into it.

Use a fork to incorporate the liquid into the solid ingredients, and then use your fingertips.

Knead lightly just until the dough comes together into a ball.

Shape the dough into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator and chill for at least two hours. You can refrigerate the dough overnight.

Butter and dust with flour a 22,5 cm pie dish. We used a 20 cm baking pan and had some extra dough enough to make a small apple galette. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface then line the pie dish with it. Pinch the pie crust with a fork. Add the filling.

For the Filling:

• 3 big apples, peeled, cored and cut into slices(I don't know what kind of apples we used but these beauties were pretty big.);
• juice of half a lemon;
• 1 Tbsp corn starch;
• 70 gr mascarpone (or cream cheese);
• 35 gr dark brown sugar;
• 25 gr granulated sugar;
• 1 tsp cinnamon;
• ¼ tsp ginger;
• ¼ tsp clove;
• 15 gr butter.

Preheat the oven to 180º C.
Combine lemon juice and corn starch and pour over the apples. Toss them to distribute the liquid evenly.

In a small bowl, combine the two types of sugar, cinnamon, ginger and clove.

Spread the mascarpone evenly over the pie crust. Sprinkle half of the sugar mixture over the mascarpone and arrange the apples on top. If there is any lemon juice left, discard it. Sprinkle the rest of the sugar over the apples. Dot with the butter on top.

Bake for approximately 50 minut. If the top starts to burn, cover it with a baking paper.
Leave the crostata for at least 4 hours before slicing, thus all the juices from the apples will set.