apple-cranberry crostada

ingredients

• servings: 6
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 pounds granny smith apples (or other firm, crisp apples), peeled, quartered, cored and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1 pound macintosh apples (or other soft-textured apples that fall apart when cooked), peeled, quartered, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed but still cold (follow package directions)
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• optional: ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream (optional)

recipe

• heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. add apples, 1/2 cup sugar and cranberries; cover and cook until apples release their liquid, about 5 minutes. remove lid and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until soft apples fall apart and juices thicken to a thin-syrup consistency, about 5 minutes longer. pour a large-lipped cookie sheet or jellyroll pan and cool to room temperature. (can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 5 days.)
• adjust oven rack to low position and heat oven to 400 degrees. open puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured work surface. roll into a rectangle, about 10 by 16 inches. transfer to a large cookie sheet. (i suggest lining the sheet with parchment paper; this ensures the crostada doesn't stick and allows easy cleanup.)
• spread cooked apples over pastry, leaving a 2-inch border. fold up pastry borders over apples. unfold corners and form ruffled creases to keep dough from overlapping. brush pastry border with egg white and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tb. sugar. bake until pastry is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. serve warm or at room temperature with optional ice cream or whipped cream.