Indulge in the delightful symphony of flavors with our Pear, Apple, and Quince Crostata, where the subtle sweetness of pears, the crisp tartness of apples, and the aromatic fragrance of quince harmoniously blend together. This rustic Italian tart features a buttery, flaky crust that encases a generous filling of these seasonal fruits, creating a textural contrast that will tantalize your taste buds. Our recipe provides detailed instructions for preparing the dough from scratch, ensuring a golden-brown and perfectly crisp crust. Additionally, we offer variations for those who prefer a gluten-free or vegan version of this delectable treat. Discover the joy of homemade goodness with our Pear, Apple, and Quince Crostata, perfect for any occasion, be it a cozy family gathering or an elegant dinner party.
Here are our top 4 tried and tested recipes!
PEAR, APPLE, AND QUINCE CROSTATA
Provided by Jonathan Waxman
Categories Dessert Bake Apple Pear Quince Fall Cinnamon Clove Gourmet Vegetarian Pescatarian Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free Kosher
Yield Makes 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 26
Steps:
- Make roasted fruit:
- Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
- Peel, quarter, and core pears, apples, and quince, then cut into 1-inch chunks. Toss fruit with sugar, lemon juice, ginger, cinnamon stick, cloves, and 1 tablespoon apple cider in a bowl. Transfer to a large shallow baking pan (17 by 12 inches) and roast, stirring once or twice, until fruit is very soft and caramelized, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
- Remove from oven and add remaining tablespoon apple cider, scraping up caramelized juices from bottom of baking pan. Discard cinnamon stick and cloves. Cool in pan on a rack, about 45 minutes.
- Make pastry shell while fruit roasts:
- Whisk together flour, salt, and 2 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl. Blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with 6 tablespoons ice water and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.
- Squeeze a small handful: If dough doesn't hold together, add more ice water to dough, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until just combined. (Do not overwork mixture, or pastry will be tough.)
- Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather all of dough together with scraper and press into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Chill dough, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
- Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 14-inch round, then fit into tart pan (do not trim).
- Make brown sugar filling:
- Put a large baking sheet in middle of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
- Beat together butter and sugars in a large bowl using an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then add flour and a pinch of salt and mix until just combined. Spread evenly in pastry shell.
- Assemble and bake pastry:
- Scatter roasted fruit with juices over filling. Fold edge of pastry over filling to partially cover (center won't be covered). Pleat dough as necessary. Brush folded pastry edge lightly with egg and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar.
- Bake on preheated baking sheet until filling is puffed and set and pastry is golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool to warm, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove side of tart pan and slide crostata onto a plate.
APPLE CROSTATA
Steps:
- For the pastry, place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough becomes a solid mass. Turn the dough onto a well-floured board and form into a disk. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Flour a rolling pin and roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to a baking sheet.
- For the filling, peel, core, and cut the apples into 8ths. Cut each wedge into 3 chunks. Toss the chunks with the orange zest. Cover the tart dough with the apple chunks leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.
- Combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts holding together. Sprinkle evenly on the apples. Gently fold the border over the apples to enclose the dough, pleating it to make a circle.
- Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the apples are tender. Allow to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
PEAR AND FRANGIPANE CROSTATA
Basically a batter of ground almonds in a buttery sweet Italian-style crust, this easy tart is sublime with a little sugared fruit baked on top - apples or pears in the cold months, cherries and stone fruit in summer - but it is also very good plain, served with a fruit compote alongside. A small wedge is sufficient after a big meal, but no one will complain if you serve a dab of whipped cream or ice cream on the side. This tart is best on the day it is baked: Save time by making the dough and lining the tart pan up to a week in advance and freezing.
Provided by David Tanis
Categories pies and tarts, dessert
Time 1h
Yield 8 to 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Make the dough: Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a stand mixer or in a bowl with a sturdy whisk, beat together sugar, salt, eggs and butter. Fold in flour and knead the dough into a ball. Squash the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 2 days before using. (Dough can also be frozen up to 2 months.) Roll out dough using a lightly floured rolling pin or press dough into a 10-inch French tart pan. Freeze or refrigerate tart shell while you make the filling. (It is not necessary to blind bake the tart shell.)
- Make the filling: Whisk together almonds, sugar, butter, egg yolks and whole egg until creamy, then whisk in rum and almond extract.
- Spread the frangipane batter evenly over the bottom of tart shell, and arrange pear slices over in a circular pattern. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake at 375 degrees, for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees. (If pastry is browning too quickly, loosely cover edges with foil.) Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden but not too dark and a toothpick pushed into the center of the tart comes out clean. If it doesn't, bake a few minutes longer.
PEAR AND APPLE CROSTATA WITH FIVE-SPICE WHIPPED CREAM
Categories Dairy Fruit Dessert Bake Vegetarian Apple Pear Spice Spring Bon Appétit Kidney Friendly Pescatarian Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free Kosher
Yield Makes 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- for crust:
- Mix both flours, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter and shortening. Using on/off turns, process until butter and shortening form pea-size pieces. Mix in enough ice water to form moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
- for filling:
- Position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Toss to blend. Let stand until juices form, about 15 minutes.
- Roll out dough on lightly floured work surface to 1 1/2-inch round. Transfer dough to unrimmed baking sheet. Mound filling atop dough, leaving 2-inch border. Fold dough border over filling to form 7-inch round, pleating loosely and pinching to seal any cracks in dough. Brush crust and fruit with egg, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.
- Bake crostata until crust is golden and juices bubble thickly, about 40 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to rack; cool 10 minutes. Slide metal spatula under crust to free from baking sheet. Cool crostata to lukewarm. Using large tart pan bottom as aid, transfer crostata to platter.
- Whip cream, honey and five-spice powder in medium bowl until stiff. Serve crostata lukewarm or at room temperature with whipped cream.
- *A blend of ground anise, cinnamon, star anise, cloves and ginger, available in the spice section of most supermarkets.
Tips:
- Use ripe, flavorful fruit. This will ensure that your crostata is packed with flavor.
- Don't overwork the dough. Overworked dough will be tough and chewy. Mix the dough just until it comes together, then chill it for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out.
- Use a sharp knife to slice the fruit. This will help to prevent the fruit from tearing and making the crostata difficult to assemble.
- Don't overcrowd the crostata. Leave some space between the pieces of fruit so that they can cook evenly.
- Bake the crostata until the crust is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. This will ensure that the crostata is cooked through.
- Let the crostata cool slightly before slicing and serving. This will help to prevent the fruit from falling out.
Conclusion:
This pear, apple, and quince crostata is a delicious and easy-to-make dessert that is perfect for autumn. The sweet and tart fruit pairs perfectly with the flaky crust, and the crostata is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.
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