Peanut Butter Apple Crostata

How do you love to eat peanut butter?

Here is how a delicious new recipe gets born in my house.

One of our favorite snacks in our house is green apples and peanut butter.

We are also pie people. I am testing out some new crusts for a pie class I am helping teach next weekend. 

As a foodbuzz blogger I get opportunities to test food products as part of the Tastemaker program and I recently received  two samples of Planters Peanut Butter from the National Peanut Board. Along with these tasty jars of peanut butter came a challenge to create a peanut butter snack. (samples were delicious by the way)

I wanted something different that would become a favorite in our house without it being loaded with additional sugar.

All these factors came together to create the Peanut Butter Apple Crostata -- which is indulgent in the pie crust but not heavy on the sugar. It was a perfect after school snack. But it would also be great for breakfast.

The Recipe 

 

The Pie Crust

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup butter flavored shortening (cold)

3 to 4 Tb of ice cold water

Filling
2 green apples - cored and peeled and sliced very thinly
2 TB creamy peanut butter
1 -2 tsp cinnamon sugar mix. (1/2 cinnamon and 1/2 sugar mixed)
1 TB pear or apple jelly.

Heat oven to 425 farenheit.
Roll out pie crust to 10 inches. Roll out on top off saran wrap or pastry mat so it is easy to move.

Move rolled out pie crust to parchment paper lined pizza stone or cookie sheet.


Spread pie crust with peanut butter within 2 inches of edge.

Toss sliced apple with cinnamon sugar mix.

Mound apples in the middle of the pie crust on top of peanut butter.

Fold edges of pie crust over pie leaving a 3-4 inch circle open in the center. This can be rough looking. No fancy pie technique here. A crostata is country food.  It doesn't have to be fancy. That is why I love the crostata.

Bake for 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. It may be longer depending on your oven.

Remove from oven and glaze apples in circle with jam ( I used pineapple pear jam, but an apple jam would be great too.

Place back in oven for 5 minutes.

Remove and let cool.