Apple and Walnut Tart (Vegan)
Apple and Walnut Crostata is a vegan dessert made with a tender crust, cooked apples in sugar and red wine, toasted walnuts, and cinnamon. I kept the dough simple, without complicated ingredients, and the filling is thickened separately with a little cornstarch. It's important for the apples to cool before being placed on the dough; otherwise, the crust may get soggy too quickly. Quick Info Total Time: not specified in the original recipe Preparation Time: not specified Baking Time: 30 minutes Servings: not specified; the dessert is cut after cooling, depending on the desired size Difficulty: medium Recipe Type: vegan dessert with apples and walnuts Ingredients For the Dough 70 g margarine 230 g flour A pinch of salt 3 tablespoons sugar 1 packet vanilla sugar 3 tablespoons water For the Apple Filling 8 apples 5-6 tablespoons sugar 20 g margarine 1 packet vanilla sugar 3 tablespoons walnuts 200 ml red wine Cinnamon, according to the original recipe's instructions For Thickening the Syrup 1 teaspoon cornstarch For Finishing Vanilla powdered sugar Instructions 1. Prepare the Dough Place the margarine in a bowl and knead it together with the flour, salt, sugar, and vanilla sugar. Work the mixture until the ingredients combine and you achieve a homogeneous dough. Add the water at the end and knead again as needed for the dough to come together well. There's no need to overwork it. After it's well mixed, cover the dough and refrigerate it. 2. Prepare the Apples Peel and core the apples, then cut them into cubes. They don't need to be perfectly equal, but the pieces shouldn't be too large so that they soften in a similar time. In a pot, place the apples and 5-6 tablespoons of sugar. Mix and let them cook until the sugar starts to caramelize. At this point, add the red wine, the 20 g of margarine, walnuts, and cinnamon. Continue cooking until the apples soften slightly and the liquid begins to thicken. The filling should not be completely dry, as the remaining juice will be used separately, along with the cornstarch. Remove the pot from the heat and let the apples cool. It’s easier to roll out the dough and form the crostata when the filling is no longer hot. 3. Prepare the Pan and Dough Use a springform pan. Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out into a sheet large enough to cover the base of the pan and rise up the sides. The sheet should be slightly larger than the pan so that the edges can be folded over the filling. Place the dough in the pan and prick it with a fork in several places. 4. Add the Apples Spoon the apples into the pan and spread them as evenly as possible. It’s better to distribute them in a uniform layer so that the filling bakes evenly. The remaining juice in the pot is mixed separately with a teaspoon of cornstarch. Put the mixture back on the heat and let it simmer until it thickens. After it cools slightly, pour it over the apples and spread it as evenly as possible. 5. Bake the Crostata Fold the edges of the dough over the apple filling. There's no need for them to completely cover the center; the recipe is designed so that the apples remain visible. Place the pan in the oven and bake the crostata for 30 minutes. Since the oven temperature is not mentioned in the original recipe, it should be set according to the usual temperature for baking a tart shell. Let the dessert cool, then dust it with vanilla powdered sugar. It’s easier to slice after cooling when the filling has set. Why I Make This Recipe Often It's a vegan dessert with common ingredients and a filling that can be prepared without too much effort. The dough comes together quickly, and the apples with walnuts can be cooked while the dough is chilling. Additionally, the crostata is perfect when you want a fruit dessert but don't want to prepare a separate crust. Tips and Variations Tips Let the dough chill before rolling it out. The margarine firms up, making the dough easier to work with. The apples should be allowed to cool before being placed on the dough. A hot filling can make the crust soggy before baking. Don’t discard the juice left after cooking the apples. It contains sugar, wine flavor, cinnamon, and apple taste, and the cornstarch thickens it into a more cohesive layer for the filling. Toast the walnuts before adding them to the pot, as specified in the recipe. They should be browned, not burnt, as their flavor comes through quite well in the dessert. Pricking the dough with a fork helps it bake evenly and reduces the risk of it puffing up during baking. Substitutions Margarine is used in both the dough and the apples. To keep the recipe vegan, any substitutes must also be plant-based. The source does not specify other replacement options, and it is not recommended to alter the quantities without considering the dough's consistency. If you don't have vanilla sugar for the dough or filling, the original recipe doesn't offer an exact alternative. To achieve a similar result, keep the vanilla sugar and use powdered vanilla sugar at the end. Variations The amount of sugar in the filling can be chosen between 5 and 6 tablespoons, depending on how sweet the apples are. This is the only variation directly provided in the recipe. You can keep the apples cut into larger or smaller cubes; however, it’s important not to cook them until they turn to mush. In the original recipe, the apples are only softened slightly so that the filling retains its texture. Serving Ideas The crostata is served after it has cooled and been dusted with vanilla powdered sugar. It can be sliced directly from the pan after the edges have loosened slightly and the filling is no longer liquid. Frequently Asked Questions Can I use grated apples instead of cubed apples? The original recipe uses cubed apples. Grated apples would release water more quickly and change the texture of the filling, so for the described result, it’s better to stick to cubing. Why is cornstarch added at the end? The juice left from the apples is mixed with cornstarch and heated until thickened. This way, the liquid doesn’t remain separate in the pan and can be poured over the apples as a more cohesive layer. Is red wine mandatory? In the original recipe, red wine is part of the filling and is added after the sugar starts to caramelize. If you omit it, the dish will not have the same composition and flavor, and the source does not provide a replacement quantity. Can the hot filling be placed over the dough? It is not recommended. The apples and thickened liquid should be allowed to cool or at least cool down significantly before assembly. The recipe clearly states that the filling should be chilled before being placed in the pan. When is the powdered sugar added? The vanilla powdered sugar is added at the end, after baking. It's better for the dessert to cool before dusting so that the sugar doesn’t get damp from the heat. Nutritional Values The values below are estimates and refer to the entire dessert, as the recipe does not specify the final weight or the number of servings. The calculation may vary depending on the variety and size of the apples, the exact amount of sugar, the type of margarine, and how much powdered sugar is used at the end. For the entire crostata: approximately 2,400-2,700 kcal, 430-480 g carbohydrates, 75-90 g fats, and 20-30 g proteins. If the dessert is cut into 8 slices, each slice would have approximately 300-340 kcal, 54-60 g carbohydrates, 9-11 g fats, and 2-4 g proteins. These are rough estimates, not exact nutritional values. Storage and Reheating Keep the crostata covered after it has completely cooled. Since it contains cooked apples and a filling thickened with cornstarch, it’s best consumed within a short time and not left uncovered. It can be stored in the refrigerator if not consumed on the same day. Before serving, let it sit at room temperature for a bit so that the dough isn’t too hard. Reheating is not detailed in the original recipe; if you choose to reheat it, do so gently, just enough to warm it slightly without drying out the crust.
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