This recipe is an adaptation of the traditional Italian crostata di mele, an apple pie that was slowly cooked overnight on a stove. This modern version uses an oven but maintains the same principles of slow cooking to create a tender crust and a filling with deeply melded flavors and a uniform texture. The gentle caramelization of the fruit's natural sugar gives the pie a rich, almost jam-like taste.
Crostata is an Italian pie made with shortcrust pastry, also known as pasta frolla.
While a common filling is jam (crostata di marmellata), it can also be filled with fruit, custard, or ricotta.
This particular recipe for crostata di mele (apple pie) is an adaptation of a traditional version that was cooked slowly overnight in a stove.
The slow cooking process created a unique result: a more tender crust, and a filling where the flavors melded deeply, becoming richer and smoother, almost jammy, as the sugar in the fruit gently caramelized.
This process also allowed more moisture to evaporate, concentrating the flavors.
The final pie is a tribute to that old-world method, capturing the special characteristics of the slow-cooked original in a more modern preparation.
This recipe is part of a series on traditional Italian apple and pear desserts, which also includes a cake made with mostly apples, a recipe for using overripe pears, a quicker and easier than a French apple tart, and a no-flour apple meringue mousse.
Ingredients
This pie uses a shortcrust pastry ( pasta frolla) without sugar so that the sweetness of the apples prevails.
You can use a sweet shortcrust pastry instead and you can find the recipe on Savory And Sweet Pasta Frolla - Italian Pastry Dough
- Flour, Butter, Egg, Water: These ingredients combine to create the sugar-free pie crust, pasta frolla.
- Apples, Brown Sugar, Cognac: These are the main ingredients for the pie's filling. We do not add any spices to the apples, but it is up to you if you wish to.
- Egg: One extra egg is used for the eggwash to color the pastry.
The measurements for an 8-inch (19 cm) round pie are in the recipe card below.
Step by step instructions
Making the Dough
- In an electric mixer, combine the butter, egg, flour, and 2 tablespoons of water.
- Mix until the dough comes together.
The water helps to give the dough a smoother consistency, making it easier to roll with uniform edges.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preparing the Apple Filling
- Peel and cut the apples into chunks.
- Place the apples in a pot with the brown sugar and cook over medium heat, covered.
- Let them cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the bottom from burning.
- Add the cognac and let it evaporate for a few seconds.
- Stir to mash all the apples into a uniform paste.
- Remove from heat, cover, and let the mixture cool completely.
Assembling the Pie
- Coat an 8-inch (19 cm) round pan with butter and flour.
- Take the dough from the fridge and cut it into two pieces: use the larger piece (⅔) for the bottom and the smaller piece (⅓) for the top.
- Roll out the larger piece of dough with a rolling pin until it's big enough to cover the bottom and sides of the pan.
- Lay the dough in the pan and trim the excess from the edges. Add these trimmings to the smaller piece of dough for the top.
- Pierce the bottom of the dough with a fork to prevent it from rising during baking.
- Roll out the remaining dough for the top and put it back in the fridge.
- Once the apple filling is cold, pour it evenly into the pie crust.
- Cover the pie with the top layer of dough, pressing down to seal the borders.
- Make a few cuts in the top to let steam escape while it bakes.
- Brush the entire top with the egg wash to give the crust a nice golden color.
Baking the Pie
- Preheat your oven to 150°C (300°F).
- Bake the pie for 3 hours. Check on it every hour and rotate the pan if needed to ensure it bakes uniformly.
- Let the pie cool completely before serving.
Serving Suggestions
The extended, slow cooking process results in a pie with a distinct texture, featuring a soft, less-browned crust and a smooth, rich filling with concentrated, jam-like flavors.
Serve the pie warm or at room temperature with a spoon of vanilla gelato.
The pie will keep for 4 days in the fridge.
You can also freeze the uncooked pie and bake it from frozen.
More dessert recipes with apples
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Traditional Crostata Di Mele (Italian Apple Pie)
Verified Culinary AuthorityIngredients
Filling
- 8 apples
- 2 tablespoon cognac
- 2 tablespoon sugar you can add more sugar if you like it sweet
Instructions
Making the pie dough
- In an electric mixer, combine the butter, egg, flour, and 2 tablespoons of water.
- Mix until the dough comes together.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preparing the Apple Filling
- Peel and cut the apples into chunks.
- Place the apples in a pot with the brown sugar and cook over medium heat, covered.
- Let them cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the bottom from burning.
- Add the cognac and let it evaporate for a few seconds.
- Stir to mash all the apples into a uniform paste.
- Remove from heat, cover, and let the mixture cool completely.
Assembling the Pie
- Coat an 8-inch (19 cm) round pan with butter and flour.
- Take the dough from the fridge and cut it into two pieces: use the larger piece (⅔) for the bottom and the smaller piece (⅓) for the top.
- Roll out the larger piece of dough with a rolling pin until it's big enough to cover the bottom and sides of the pan.
- Lay the dough in the pan and trim the excess from the edges. Add these trimmings to the smaller piece of dough for the top.
- Pierce the bottom of the dough with a fork to prevent it from rising during baking.
- Roll out the remaining dough for the top and put both dough back in the fridge.
- Once the apple filling is cold, pour it evenly into the pie crust
- Cover the pie with the top layer of dough, pressing down to seal the borders.
- Make a few cuts in the top to let steam escape while it bakes.
- Brush the entire top with the egg wash to give the crust a nice golden color.
Baking the Pie
- Preheat your oven to 150°C (300°F).
- Bake the pie for 3 hours. Check on it every hour and rotate the pan if needed to ensure it bakes uniformly.
- Let the pie cool completely before serving.
Video
Nutrition
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