Insanely gorgeous Raspberry Apple Pie, with a sesame crust, a lattice top, and a juicy ruby filling. A delicious way to use your summer berries, but it works great with frozen raspberries!

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Raspberry Apple Pie in pan, one slice on white plate, wooden table

A crostata is basically Italian for pie, so this is technically a raspberry apple pie.

In Spanish it makes us think of crusty and a crunchy top, which is exactly what you get from a good lattice pie.

The word crostata is also used for a galette, which is a free-form tart where no pie pan is used and the dough is simply folded over the fruit in the border and leaving a round opening in the middle, such as in the grape and brie galette.

I should’ve started making this pie yesterday and letting it cool completely, even refrigerate it for a few hours, before cutting it, but hey, there were pictures to be taken and a post to be scheduled. A food blogger’s daily issues, having to eat this raspberry apple crostata still warm. Tough day.

This crostata recipe was made with figs originally, but I decided to make a 180° turn and use apples and raspberries. The berries are frozen since it's the middle of winter here in Buenos Aires.

Let's start with the sesame dough.

Though I have added this and that to doughs before, this one has sesame seeds, an ingredient I use a lot but never in this way. Let me tell you about the crunchiness the seeds generate after being baked! A fantastic idea it turned out to be.

Comments of this dough:

The dough is much more rustic than say, a regular sweet pie dough. That means it will break more (image above) and you'll need to handle it differently because of that. I find it easier to line the pan in parts, which is no issue really since pie dough can be patched up easily.
As with all doughs, keep it cold until the moment you need to roll it. And then refrigerate the lined pan, or better yet, freeze it. It's easier and faster.
Lattice: I recommend you roll it, cut it on a board (image below) and take it back to the fridge for a few minutes for it to harden and lift up easily. That way you'll end up with less broken strips. If that happen they can be patched together. Look at my lattice and see how it is patched up. And then feel like you can't make a more rustic or irregular lattice, haha!

Making pie crust in the processor.

I made this dough in the food processor from beginning to end, as I do with all doughs.

It comes together in a few minutes; it takes longer to toast and measure the ingredients. And like all pie doughs, it has to be admitted to the refrigerator before rolling it and fitting into the pan. It has to do with using all butter and letting the dough relax after the stress of being swirled in the processor.

And it turned out to be slightly crumbly, like a peanut butter cookie dough sometimes is.

But no biggie, just patch up if it breaks while trying to fit it into the pie plate. You won’t have to use pie weights, or pre-bake it, so there will be no shrinking of the dough. The whole thing is assembled with the raw dough and the cooked ruby-colored filling and then chilled before going into the oven.

About the apple raspberry filling:

Mixing apples and raspberries was a last moment idea because I didn't want to make an apple pie. I wanted it to be more colorful and add something different like the sesame was already contributing in the crust.

Well, it was a winning combination! Not only the color is fantastic, but the two fruits work wonders together.

The amounts given in the recipe can be varied, more of this less of that. Take into account the liquid in them, especially if the raspberries are frozen.

The lattice itself can be made any way you want, as long as there are spaces of open filling between the stripes.

My stripes are thick, irregular and more an act of faith than technique. For me, it's all about the recipe and the flavor.

So, unless you’re a neurotic nelly and want to spend time cutting perfect strips and refrigerating them for just the right amount of time so they don't get too cold that they brake, but cold enough so they lie in perfect lines on top of the still warm raspberry apple filling. If that didn’t scare you, go for it. Go ahead and make perfect strips.

Or omit stripes and go all-in with stars, hearts, braids and so on. Whatever is your jam is fine.

Whole Raspberry Apple Crostata on wooden table, rolling pin, white cloth

What else can I tell you about this crostata? Oh yes, it’s as good as it looks. So I hope it looks good.

I have a rustic idea about lattice pies the same way I do for galettes, like this strawberry one. I don’t mind if there are uneven strips of dough on top, just like I don’t mind what shape the gallete sides have. Whatever way your strips look, fine.

Variations:

Make individual pies and freeze them.
Make a galette, in a pie plate. A galette is a free-form pie, where the dough isn't fitted into a pan. That sounds counter-intuitive, but what I mean is to use the pie plate as a container because the dough is crumbly. But don't make a lattice or care about the sides. Simply fold the hanging dough inward over some of the filling. If it leaks you have the pie pan as a safety net.

Other recipes you might like:
Fig Jam Tart
The Best Lemon Ricotta Tart
How to Make Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
Apricot Frangipane Tart
Apple Bread Pudding
Orange Ricotta Cheesecake
Margarita Lime Pie

Let me know if you make this recipe! I’d love to hear what you think about it.
Thank you for being here, I appreciate it! Let’s connect via Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Raspberry Apple Crostata Pie

Author: Paula Montenegro
Prep Time: 80
Cook Time: 40
Total Time: 2 hours
Yield: 8 servings 1x
Category: Pies & Tarts
Method: Baking
Cuisine: International

Description

Scale

Ingredients

For the dough:

¾ cup whole almonds (toasted and cooled)
½ cup sesame seeds (toasted and cooled)
½ cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
8 oz (1 cup or 225g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla

For the filling:

1 pound 450g granny smith apples, about 5, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
½ pound 225g fresh or frozen raspberries
½ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
2 Tbs flour
Zest of 1 lemon
1 Tbs butter
A few Tbs light brown sugar (for sprinkling the dough)

Instructions

For the dough:

Lightly toast seeds and almonds, being careful not to burn them. Let them cool.
Put both in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and add 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Process until medium ground.
Add the rest of the sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt and process until well blended.
Scatter cold, diced butter on top and process until it looks like coarse sand.
Mix eggs in a bowl with the vanilla and add to the flour mixture.
Process until it starts to come together, about 10 to 15 seconds. Don’t let it turn into a ball. Gather into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour or more.
When you have the filling cooling, divide the dough into two uneven pieces (2/3 and 1/3).
Roll the large piece, using additional flour to prevent sticking.
Transfer to a 8-inch (24cm) pie plate, with removable bottom is best. Without stretching it, make it fit into the pan, removing excess dough.
Add the filling.
Roll the small piece of dough on a lightly floured surface and cut strips with a pizza cutter.
Make a lattice over the filling, adding strips one way and then the other. Press where the strips meet the bottom dough to adhere.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes. About 15 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 350º.
Sprinkle a few tablespoons of extra sugar on top of the lattice, and bake pie for about 40 minutes, until golden and the filling is bubbly.
Let cool on wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

For the filling:

In a large saucepan, put all filling ingredients and cook over low heat until butter melts and fruit begins to release their juices, about 5 minutes. As soon as it bubbles remove from heat.
If not using immediately, keep refrigerated for a few days.