everything can be used for something

after i make any type of pie, i always have a bit of dough left. you know- the pieces that you snip off the edges before you fold them together into a pretty crust. it's not enough for a pie and in a kitchen everything can be used for something...so, what do you do with that little bit of dough? make a crostata, of course! i first learned how to make this watching the ina garten on the barefoot contessa, and thought, not only does that look delicious and now i'm hungry, it's so simple to make!

all you need is leftover pie dough and apples. i'll use any apples that i have in my fridge- this particular crostata has a combination of honeycrisp and macintosh apples. i flavor the filling according to which apples i'm using. this means that the amount of sugar i put into the apple filling greatly depends on how sweet the apples are. in this case, honeycrisp apples are very sweet, so i used less sugar. same goes for the cinnamon and nutmeg- increase or decrease the amount of spice according to whatever suits your palette.

apple crostata

for the filling-

2 medium sized apples, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

optional- demerara sugar

for the crust-

leftover pie dough, at room temperature

preheat the oven to 375⁰F. if using a convection oven, lower to 350⁰F.

combine the apples, salt, sugar, and spices in a bowl and set aside. the sugar will macerate the apples while you roll out the dough.

lightly flour your surface and roll out the dough into a circle- about 12 inches in diameter. place onto a nonstick baking sheet or baking sheet with a silicone mat.

pile the apples into the center of the dough and fold the edges over the edge of the apple filling. there will be some exposed apple filling. 

sprinkle demerara sugar over the exposed apples for added crunch. lightly brush the sides of the crostata with an egg wash or oil.

bake for 20- 30 minutes, until the dough is a light golden brown. serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

now you always have a use for leftover dough!

until next post- maggie