Maggiano's Warm Apple Crostada

Warm Apple Crostada With Vanilla Bean Ice Cream & Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

• CRUST:
• 1 cup butter -- cold
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup superfine sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 ounces ice water
• FILLING:
• 3 Granny Smith apples -- peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch -- dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
• heavy cream -- optional
• crytallized sugar -- optional

Directions

1. For the crust:
2. With a knife, cut the butter into 1/4" cubes and keep cold. Mix flour, sugar, and salt together. Add the butter to the dry ingredients, using a food processor, if available. Pulse until butter is in small pieces. Add the ice water and mix. Stop before it is a solid mass. (It's better to leave it a little crumbly.) Press the dough
3. together and form into one mass. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
4. For the filling:
5. In a large saute pan, melt the butter until foaming and add the sugar. Cook about 2 minutes until light brown, and add the apples. Cook until apples are slightly soft, give up their juices and liquid becomes syrupy again. Add the spices, mixing well. Add the
6. cornstarch and water mixture and mix well, cooking 1 minute. Remove filling and cool completely.
7. To assemble:
8. Roll crostata dough into a 9" round circle and place on a baking sheet. Using an ice cream scoop, fill with apple filling. Free-form dough around filling, using 8 folds to result in a 4" opening.
9. To bake:
10. Brush the crust of the crostata with heavy cream. Coat crust in crystallized sugar, if desired. Bake in oven preheated to 350°F. until brown and crisped, about 35-40 minutes.