Honey Roasted Cardamom Apple and Brown Butter Streusel Crostata

Honey Roasted Cardamom Apple and Brown Butter Streusel Crostata by Meeta K. Wolff

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 2 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients:

For the pastry

  • 200g all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 170g butter, very cold and cut into cubes

  • 175 ml water, ice cold

For the filling

  • 5 apples, peeled, cored and sliced

  • 100g blackberries

  • 150 ml clear honey

  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted

  • 3-4 green cardamom pods, cracked

  • 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

  • 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water

For the streusel

  • 50g + 2 tablesppons all-purpose flour

  • 5 tablespoons butter

  • 30g pecan nuts, finely chopped

  • 50g +2 tablespoon muscovado sugar

  • Pinch of fleur de sel

  • ½ teaspoon cardamom, ground

Method:

  1. To make the pastry, pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add the cold butter cubes and pulse until the mixture is resembles breadcrumbs. Add the water and pulse just until a dough forms then turn out onto a work surface and gather the crumbs together. Do not knead the dough but quickly shape into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

  2. In the meantime preheat the oven to 190 degrees C. and make the filling by tossing the apple slices in the honey, cardamom pods vanilla bean and pod and the melted butter. Transfer to an onvenproof dish and roast till apples are tender about 15-20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the apples to a platter and reserve the roasting liquid.

  3. Pour the roasting liquid into a small saucepan and reduce till the liquid is thick and syrupy. Set aside to cool.

  4. Make the streusel topping by mixing the flour with the pecans, and 50g sugar, fleur de sel and ground cardamom. In a small skillet, cook butter over moderately high heat until golden brown and aromatic. This should take about 2 minutes. Pour the butter over the streusel mixture and toss gently until crumbly. Refrigerate the streusel.

  5. Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the pastry to fit a small tart form or free-form to a 6 cm round. Transfer to a baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Brush the egg wash leaving about 2-cm around the edge of the dough. Spread the apples on the pastry and place the blackberries on top. Fold the edge up over the filling, leaving the center free. Sprinkle the cold streusel topping over the apples and brush the pastry with the egg wash. Bake the crostata for 40-50 minutes, or until it is golden brown.

  6. Let the crostata cool slightly, then serve still warm with a lightly beaten Chantilly cream drizzled with the reserved spiced honey syrup.

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