Crostada Di Mela E Fischi - Apple and Fig Tart

Apples combined wtih fig jam is the unusual filling. Yellow Delicious apples are the most popular in Italy but this crostata is also great made with tart Cortland apples or a combination of both. You can bake this in a pie plate, but I would recommend a tart pan..the presentation is so much better and you don't have to wrestle the first slice out of the pie dish.

• Ready In: 1 hr 50 mins
• Serves: 8-12
• Yields: 1 tart or pie

Ingredients

• Pastry Dough with Butter

• 2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached (I use King Arthur)
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 8  tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1  large egg
• 1  large  egg yolk
• 1  grated lemon, zest of
• 2 1⁄2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• Filling

• 8  large apples, peeled, and thinly sliced (Yellow or Cortland)
• 1  cup  fig preserves
• 1  tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 1⁄3 cups sugar
• 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1  pinch black pepper
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 2  tablespoons  cold butter, cut into bits
• 1  tablespoon milk or 1  tablespoon  cream
• 2  tablespoons  sliced almonds
• 2  tablespoons  coarse brown sugar

Directions

1. Directions for butter based dough:
2. In a food processor or in a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and pulse, or cut in with a pastry blender, until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add the egg, egg yolk, lemon zest, and juice through the feed tube, or stir in, and pulse or mix just until a dough starts to form. Gather the dough into a ball and wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Combine the apple slices in a large bowl with the fig jam, and lemon juice. In a smaller bowl, mix together the sugar, cinnamon, cloves, pepper and salt.
4. Pour the sugar mixture over the apple mixture and coat them well.
5. Preheat the oven to 375F.
6. Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured board surface, roll out one piece to a 13-inch circle. Fit it into a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, and trim off the excess dough. Or line a 9 x 2 - inch pie plate with one rolled out sheet of pie crust. Trim edges. Spread the filling into the crust, packing it in well. Dot the filling with the butter. Alternately, roll the dough out between two sheets of lightly floured parchment paper to make the process easier.
7. Roll out the second piece of dough to an 11-inch circle. With a pastry wheel, cut the dough into 1/2-inch wide strips. Made a lattice top for the tart. Pinch the ends of the strips even with the tart shell sides.
8. Place the crostada on a baking pan to absorb any spillsover as it bakes.
9. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or just until the top begins to brown. Brush the top with the milk or cream and sprinkle with the almonds and coarse sugar and continue baking until the crust is nicely browned.
10. Remove the crostata from the oven and let cool completely on a rack. If using a removable tart shell, remove the sides and cut the crostata into wedges to serve.