Meet pie’s carefree, cousin, the Galette. A term used in French cuisine, galette refers to a flat, round or free-form “crusty cake.” With a single crust casually folded over sweet or savory fillings, it delivers all the bold flavors of fall and the buttery, flakey goodness of pie – minus the fuss. Here imperfection is not just okay, it is key to a perfectly imperfect, rustic galette.
INGREDIENTS
For the Crust
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 tablespoons ice water
PREPARATION
Combine dry ingredients in the bowl of a standing mixer. Using a small whisk, mix breifly until the mixture is aerated. Cut the butter into the dry mixture using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the butter and flour are thoroughly combined. The resulting mixture should be crumbly, pea-sized pieces.
Transfer your bowl to your standing mixer and drizzle in the ice water, mixing until the dough comes just together. Shape the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour before using.
For the Filling
2-3 large baking apples, cored and sliced thin
1/4 cup coconut sugar (or dark brown sugar)
1 and 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
For Caramel Sauce
*Or use a ready-made caramel sauce of your choice
1 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature cut up into 6 pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
Garnish
chopped pistachios
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare the caramel sauce. Heat granulated sugar in a medium heavy-duty saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid as you continue to stir.
Be careful not to burn it. Once sugar is completely melted, immediately stir in the butter until melted and combined. After the butter has melted and combined with the caramelized sugar, stir constantly as you very slowly pour in the heavy cream. After all the heavy cream has been added, stop stirring and allow to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and allow to slightly cool down before using.
Flour your working surface and use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a round disk (about 12″). Mix the apples, brown sugar, flour lemon juice, cinnamon and cardamom together in a large bowl. Transfer your dough to your baking sheet. Arrange the apples (not the juices) into the center of the dough, leaving a 2-3 inch border all around. Gently fold the edges of the dough over the apples, overlapping as necessary (remember – it’s not perfect!). Press gently to seal the edges. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of the caramel sauce over the apple filling (not the crust). Brush the crust with the beaten egg and sprinke the whole galette with sugar and chopped pistachios.
Bake until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown, about 35-38 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 mins before serving. Garnish with more caramel sauce and pistachios as desired.
