Mini Apple Crostatas (Maryland Style)
January 31, 2020 by Nicole Collins
I feel like we’ve been cooking with a lot of Old Bay lately.
Is anyone mad about that?
You shouldn’t be. Because, Old Bay is AMAZING!
Here’s the thing about Old Bay. It’s not all aggressive spice. In fact, when used in moderation, Old Bay has a really great “hmmm…what is that?” quality about it. There are so many different spices that go into Old Bay that shine through in different ways when paired with different foods.
In Maryland, when I say we put Old Bay on everything, I mean we put Old Bay on EVERYTHING. Seafood, pasta, sweet, savory…Old Bay, Old Bay, Old Bay!
Yes, Old Bay is a seafood seasoning. But, we need to think beyond the seafood. And, that’s exactly what we’re doing today.
So today, we’re making Mini Apple Crostatas (Maryland Style)!
Note 1: You could call these crostatas or galettes, interchangeably…crostata when you’re feeling Italian and galette when you’re feeling French.
Note 2: Maryland style = with Old Bay, in case you were wondering.
So, you guys remember that Old Bay cinnamon sugar rim that we put on our Boh Ho Ho Cocktails a few weeks ago? Well, I’m basically obsessed with it. I pretty much only want to make cinnamon sugar with Old Bay mixed in it now.
I got to thinking about what else uses cinnamon sugar, and that’s how today’s recipe was born!
To start, we’re going to make the same cinnamon sugar mix that we used for our cocktail. Then, we’re going to toss a peeled and thinly sliced apple all up in it, and let it sit for a few mins. It really doesn’t matter what kind of apple you use here. I used a pink lady apple. Use your favorite. But, the best part is that we’re slicing the apples so thinly that we don’t need to cook them first. So, from bowl to crust to oven they go, and that’s part of what makes these little rustic pastries so easy.
While the apples absorb that cinnamon sugar goodness, we’re going to work on our crusts. Now, we’re going to cheat and use store bought crust. But, if you have a favorite pie crust recipe, please feel free to use it. First, we’re going to cut the dough into 4 inch rounds. Then, we’re going to take those little circles and roll them out just a smidge to thin out the dough and give us a little more surface area to work with. After that, we spread a couple apples in the center of the dough, do a rustic fold of the crust around the edges to overlap the apples, give the tarts a brush of cream and a little more cinnamon sugar, then pop them in the oven to bake.
When these cute little babies come out of the oven, we’ve got a decision to make. We could burn the roofs of our mouths and pop them straight in. We could show a little restraint and get a dollop of whipped cream on top first. Or, we could take these from WOW to WOWZA and drizzle them with a little bit of my Old Bay Caramel.
I vote a little of option 1, 2, and 3. But, you do you.
Regardless, we’re left with an adorable, sweet, satisfying dessert. And trust me, if I didn’t tell you there was Old Bay in here, you wouldn’t know it. It’s really fun watching your loved ones guess what the secret ingredient is knowing they’ll never in a million years get it right.
Though by now, my loves ones should know my secret ingredient is ALWAYS Old Bay!
Ok, everyone. I’d like to say we’re going to take a break from the Old Bay for a minute. But, that’s probably not going to happen. Just being honest with ya!
I hope you love these! Let’s eat!
Mini Apple Crostatas (Maryland Style)
Serves: 4 Print
Ingredients:
1 large apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
2 tbsp sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp Old Bay seasoning
½ tbsp heavy cream
1 store bought refrigerated pie crust, thawed according to package directions
Old Bay Caramel and whipped cream for serving, optional
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat or parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and Old Bay. Reserve ½ tsp of the mix. Take the remaining sugar mix and toss in a larger bowl with apple slices, making sure each apple slice is coated. Set aside
Unroll the pie crust, and use a 4 inch biscuit cutter to cut out 4 circles. Take each circle, and roll 1 time in each direction to thin out the crust to a 5 inch circle. Place pie dough on prepared baking sheet.
Divide apples evenly between 4 crusts, and place in the center of each circle, leaving approximately a half inch border. Gently fold the dough border over the edge of the apples, crimping the dough as you go to complete the circle. Use a pastry brush to brush the top of the dough with heavy cream. Sprinkle reserved sugar mix over the dough. Bake for 16-18 mins until the pie dough is golden brown and the apples are tender. Drizzle with Old Bay Caramel, and top with whipped cream, if desired.
Recipe notes:
*Use your favorite apple for these. I used a pink lady apple, but any would work.
*Don't be turned off by the Old Bay in this recipe. We use so little of it, you can't even tell it's there! You just know something is different, and you're loved ones will be saying “yummm...what is that!”
*We're cutting the apples thin enough that we don't need to cook them first like we would for a pie. So, that makes these mini handheld desserts super easy!
