A crostata so buttery rich, savory and tart it will have you wanting more than one slice.
Note: Images and recipe was updated for quality on November 1st, 2020.
I must say I don’t think I’ve ever been happier in creating my own recipe till now. Sure, I’ve created other sweet treats of my own but this one…this one is A-MA-ZING! Who’d ever thought sweet and savory could taste so good together? Not I! Not until now.
This apple-cheddar crostata was made for the first time about 6 months ago right before I moved into the city. It was ok and needed work. My boyfriend, Wes, on the other hand couldn’t stand it. He didn’t understand why I would put cheese in a dessert. I assured him I’ve seen “apple-cheddar” isn’t anything new. It’s been around and I was determine to try it myself in a pie.
I’m so glad I gave it another shot. I adjusted the cheese from mild to sharp cheddar- this will enhance the rich savory flavor. As for the apples, stick with a mix of granny smith and honeycrisp/gala/cripps pink for a nice variety of tart and sweet, respectively. Granny smiths will give the right amount of tartness but its best characteristic, is its ability to hold its texture during baking. You’d also want to have a sweet and crisp apple to shine through (I used honeycrisp in this recipe).
Lastly, for the crust (my favorite part!) I stuck with an all-butter crust to really pull everything together to enhance the savory effect and I added a bit of sugar within the dough for that little touch of sweet. This is truly probably one of my best creations yet. Made it last night and it was gone by the end of the night with Wes’ approval.
Apple Cheddar Crostata
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 10 inch crostada 1x
Description
A crostata so buttery rich, savory and tart it will have you wanting more than one slice.
Ingredients
CRUST
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 3–4 tablespoons cold buttermilk
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon coarse sugar
FILLING
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3–4 medium baking apples, sliced
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In medium bowl, whisk flour and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Using a pastry blender or long-tined fork cut in butter until the mixture becomes crumbly about the size of small peas. Add buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time and combine dough until the mixture leaves the sides of the bowl.
- Form pastry dough into a ball and flatten into a disk shape on a floured surface. Cover with cling wrap and cool in fridge for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in another small bowl, whisk 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg until just combined. Toss apples in and ensure each slice is coated.
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly flour a baking sheet; set aside.
- On a clean floured surface use a floured rolling pin to roll out the cooled pie dough into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Note: Use a large inverted plate or bowl to achieve a perfect round circle. Transfer crust onto the baking sheet.
- Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese onto the center of the crust. Arrange apple slices facing the same direction above cheese.
- Fold crust upward and onto the sides of the apples creating pleats about every 1 1/2 inches. Using a pastry brush, brush milk on the sides of the crust and sprinkle coarse sugar.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cheese above crostata while still hot. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Best served warm. ENJOY!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: apple, cheddar, crostata, pie, galette