Individual Apple Galettes
Fruit galettes have so much going for them — they’re easy to make, have a rustic charm, and can be any size or shape you desire. Turning last year’s Apple Galette into these delightful Individual Apple Galettes is simply a matter of rolling out the pastry dough, cutting it into small circles, adding the filling, folding up the edges, and baking.
As with all our galettes, we use Jacques Pépin’s method of spreading an almond flour mixture on the bottom of the pastry. This absorbs the fruit juices and prevents the pastry from becoming soggy.
While testing the recipe, I had two extra fully formed galettes. Not wanting to bake up more than I needed, I put them in the freezer. The next week I pulled one out and baked it fully frozen. To my delight, it was excellent! I think this is an exciting discovery – allowing you to bake up one or two galettes just before sitting down to dinner and enjoying them warm!
Although we call these “individual,” they are generous enough that you can bake one and easily slice it in half for a dessert for two.
Individual Apple Galettes
| Yield: 3 galettes | #of Servings: 3 | Method: Basic Fruit Pie |
Ingredients
1 recipe Pate Brisée, or store-bought pie dough
Filling:
¼ cup (1.75 oz / 51 g) sugar
3 tbl (.8 oz / 22 g) ground almonds
3 tbl (1.1 oz / 31 g) all-purpose flour
6 ½ cups apple slices, from approximately 5 to 6 apples.
1 tbl fresh lemon juice
¼ cup (1.75 oz / 51 g) sugar
½ tsp (.05 oz / 2 g) ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
3 tbl (1.5 oz / 43 g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Finishing:
1 large egg, beaten
1 tbl (.5oz / 14 g) turbinado sugar
Serve with:
Vanilla Ice Cream or
Cinnamon Ice Cream or
Crème Fraiche
Special tools and equipment needed:
- Heavy cookie sheet, preferably half-sheet pan size (12” by 18”) lined with a silpat or parchment paper.
- Apple corer
- 6” cutter, or 6” plate
Pre-recipe preparations:
- Remove pastry dough (Pâte Brisée) from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to making the galette. The dough should be cold, but malleable.
- Preheat oven to 400°F
Directions
Filling:
- Combine the flour, ground almonds, and sugar in mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Peel and core the apples. Cut each apple into half, then each half into thirds. From this cut ¼” slices.
- Add lemon juice and stir to cover all the apple slices.
- Add sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir to combine.
- Mix in sugar and the spices. Set aside.
Construct the Galette:
- On a flour-dusted counter, roll out the dough to a 13″ by 9″ rectangle between ⅛” and ¼” thick.
- If the dough has softened, refrigerate until firm.
- Using a 6″ cutter or a 6″ plate as a guide, cut 3 circles. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- Spread the ground almond mixture over the circles, leaving a ½” edge.
- Spread about ¾ cup of the apples over the ground almond mixture.
- Bring the corner edges of the pastry cup to form a little edge. Place the two or three butter over the apples. If there is space, place baking sheet and galette in the refrigerator for 15 minutes for the dough to firm up.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the dough with the egg. Sprinkle with the sugar. See note below for freezing at this point.
- Bake for between 35 and 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown, and the apples tender (test with a sharp paring knife).
- Serve warm or room temperature
Note on freezing: place the galettes on a small cookie sheet in the freezer. Once firm place in plastic container with a sealing lid. Bake directly from the oven.
Baking tips:
- Suggested baking apples include Empire, Northern Spy, or Cortland.
