Apple Galette
Apple picking is a quintessential fall activity in New York’s Hudson Valley. The region boasts numerous orchards, and while I’ve explored many over the years, my personal favorite is Wilklow Orchards in Highland, just outside New Paltz. Wilklow offers a wide variety of apples, picturesque hilly terrain, is dog-friendly (see photos after recipe), and, last but certainly not least, excellent apple cider doughnuts.
The overflowing bags of Empire, Northern Spy, Cortland, and Macoun apples that would come back following an October visit would lead to a feverish period of baking and apple sauce making.
There was the occasional old fashioned double crust pie, but I became a fan of open-face apple tarts, also known as galettes. Easier to prepare, they showcase the fruit by not hiding it behind the top crust. Due to their free-form nature, they look perfectly fine with an imperfection or two.
Apple Galette is the type of rustic dessert that would be at home on an old farmhouse table in a French bistro, baked just prior to dinner service. A perfect ending to a dinner of steak frites, moules mariniere, or roast chicken.
This is a variation of a Jacques Pepin recipe for a Plum Galette. It uses a ground almond mixture spread over the crust to absorb the fruit’s juices and prevent the crust from getting soggy.
Serve with homemade vanilla ice cream, cinnamon ice cream, or crème fraiche.
Apple Galette
| Yield: 1 galette | # of Servings: 8 to 10 | Method: Basic Fruit Pie |
Ingredients:
Filling:
- ¼ cup (1.75 oz / 51 g) sugar
- 3 tbl (.8 oz / 22 g) almond flour
- 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:
Crème Fraiche
Tools and equipment needed:
- Heavy cookie sheet, preferably half-sheet pan size (12†by 18â€) lined with a silpat or parchment paper.
- Food processor or pastry blender
- Mixing bowls
- Dry and liquid measuring cups, tablespoon measure, apple corer, knife, cutting board, plastic spatula, bowl scraper, offset spatula.
Pre-recipe preparations:
- Remove pastry dough (P¢te Bris©e) 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 ¼â€ 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 12†to 13†circle, about ⅛†thick.
- Roll dough over the rolling pin and drape over the baking sheet. If the dough has become very soft, place the baking sheet with dough in the refrigerator to firm up.
- Spread the ground almond mixture over the dough, leaving a 2†edge.
- Spread the apples over the ground almond mixture, again leaving a 2†edge.
- Bring the empty edge of the dough over the apples. Place the butter pieces randomly over the apples. If there is space, place baking sheet and galette in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the dough with the eggs. Sprinkle with the sugar.
- Bake for between 50 minutes and one hour. The crust, should be golden brown, and the apples tender (test with a sharp paring knife).
- Let the galette rest and cool for 5 minutes. Slide an offset spatula, metal tart shell bottom, or knife under the tart and remove it to large cutting board or serving dish. There may some caramelized fruit juices that have leaked out onto the baking sheet that can make this a little challenging.
- Let cool to room temperature.
- Dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar just prior to serving.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream or crème fraiche.
- Left-over galette may be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. A slice with morning coffee is highly recommended.
Baking tips: Suggested baking apples include Empire, Northern Spy, or Cortland.
