Pie Party 2012

It is so hot in Italy, you could probably cook a pie outside?

But who am I not to participate?
I did not grow up in a normal home. I did not have “American” pie-making mom or grandmothers.
When I became a pastry chef, I learned to make all sorts of doughs, crusts etc, but I fell in AMORE with the Italian crust they use for their crostate.
The secret for the crostata is the same as for pizza. The flour here is low in gluten. I understand that now it is easy to find the 00 flour in the USA.

I decided to go free form and create a crostata on my oven sheet pan and filled with one of m favorite seasonal combinations.
Apricots and amaretti cookies!

The traditional recipe is for apricot halves to be filled with crushed amaretto cookies mixed with butter and cocoa powder and then baked.

I cut ripe apricots and placed on the dough, covered with crushed amaretto cookies and sprinkled with brown sugar.
I folded the edges of the pie over the fruit and baked until golden.
Waiting for it too cool down, both the pie and the temperature outside.
I have some cold yogurt gelato waiting to serve with this.

Thanks so Shauna for starting Pie Party—- and everyone else that has followed up.
My friend Elaine has done cherry pies for years for a month and then documents who she eats them with!
PIES RULE!

Italian Crostata Pie Crust
3-2-1  it is all about ratio, something between a butter cookie and a sugar cookie,instead of a classic pie crust.

300 grams 00 flour
200 grams unsalted butter
100 grams granulated sugar
1 whole egg or 1 whole egg and 1 yolk

Weigh everything and cut the butter into the flour and sugar mixture.
When it starts to look like grated parmesan cheese, stop.

Spread out the mixture and add egg.
Mix in quickly with your hands, if it is dry, add the other yolk.
Knead to blend into dough. 
This does not need to rest.

Pat into a round disk.

Lightly roll out to the desired shape.

Roll onto rolling pin to move to pan.

Traditional pie is simply filled with a jar of jam.

Bake until golden.