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A cinnamon scented, bubbly and caramelized apple filling is nestled into a delectably flaky and golden pie crust. All the sweet deliciousness of a pie without the fuss of shaping a perfect pie, this rustic Apple Galette is pure dessert-making simplicity.
Since this month is Women’s History Month, I thought it was the perfect time to celebrate my late grandma Jesusita who gave me my passion for food. The technique of creating free-form tarts with fruit and sweet crust is something I learned from her, and is still one of my favorite desserts to make.
What is a galette?
Galette is a French term that, loosely translated, means a flat, round cake. While different recipes may call for yeasted doughs (like Mardi Gras Galette de Rois), we most often think of a galette as being made with a pastry crust that is roughly wrapped around a seasonal fruit filling.
Unlike some French pastry recipes, galettes are incredibly relaxed. You’re familiar with the term “effortless beauty,” right? That’s exactly what we’re looking for in this tasty dessert.
Using just a few inexpensive ingredients that are always available at your local Kroger store, you can make an Instagrammable piece of edible art.
To make this simple dessert, we use a homemade pie-like dough and a super quick apple filling. Bonus? You don’t even have to peel the apples! The outer edge of the dough is then folded over the filling, loosely pleated and baked to golden perfection.
Speaking of perfection, one of my favorite things about this recipe is how forgiving it is. One of the great visual appeals of this apple galette is the rough, rustic, homespun crust. In fact, the less fussy you are about making it “neat” and “tidy,” the more unpretentiously magnificent it becomes.
Serve with a scoop of store-bought vanilla ice cream, and you just earned the title of Dessert Superstar.
How to make galette dough
Since this recipe is all about being laid-back, I made a super simple shortening dough that doesn’t even require the food processor. Shortening is known for being more forgiving when making pie crusts. This recipe also uses warm water (similar to making flour tortillas) rather than ice water.
TIP: Short on time or patience? Feel free to substitute frozen pie dough or puff pastry, available year-round in the frozen section of Kroger.
In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Using a fork, your hands, a pastry cutter, or a hand mixer, add the shortening and combine until you have the consistency of small crumbs.
Slowly drizzle warm water by the tablespoon until the dough holds together enough to form a ball. If too dry, add the remaining water, and combine until the dough comes together.
TIP: You also don’t have to rest this dough in the fridge like you would other recipes. You can go straight from mixing to rolling, making it an excellent last-minute dessert!
Make ahead: Feel free to work ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze the dough in plastic wrap. It will last for up to a week in the fridge or up to three months in the freezer. Defrost prior to rolling.
Place dough on a lightly floured parchment sheet, roll out the pastry to a 12 to 14-inch circle and transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet.
TIP: Want to make life extra easy on yourself? Line that baking sheet with parchment to make clean up a snap.
Filling and assembling the galette
True to the casual coolness of this freeform apple galette, the filling is also a cinch. There’s no need to either peel the apples or par cook them prior to filling and baking. The oven does all the hard work for you.
Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F. Halve and core the apples and slice them crosswise 1/4 inch thick.
Decoratively arrange the apple slices on top of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border.
Drizzle honey (or agave) over apples.
Sprinkle galette with cinnamon and dust cane sugar over dough and apples.
Fold the pastry edge up and over the filling. Brush egg wash onto crust.
Dot galette with pieces of butter before baking it. The melted butter is what imparts a stunning, glossy sheen to the galette.
Bake galette for 40 to 45 minutes, until the pastry is nicely browned and crisp, and all of the fruit is tender.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Extra credit if you add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can think of a galette as a sort of free form pie that is made without using a specific dish. Pies, like galettes, can be either sweet or savory. The biggest difference is that pies are normally made in a deep dish, giving a larger filling to crust ratio.
Crostata is the Italian version of a galette, and in this case can be used interchangeably.
Tarts, like pies, are also made in a specific pan. They generally have short edges that are fluted, and are quite a bit shallower in stature than a pie. Basically, they’re the fancier version of a galette.
You can absolutely use pie dough to make a galette. My dough uses shortening in place of butter, but basically any pastry crust will do. Galettes can also be made using store bought puff pastry or pie dough, both of which you can find in the freezer section of Kroger.
Want more galette inspo? Try these:
- Fig Galette Topped with Chantilly Cream
- Pear Galette Topped with Chantilly Cream
- Apple and Strawberry Galette
- Rhubarb and Strawberry Crostata
If you loved this apple galette recipe, please leave me with a star rating and comment below!
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Apple Galette
Ingredients
- 3 apples
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, (thinly sliced)
Pastry:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated or cane sugar
- 1/3 cup all-vegetable shortening
- 3 to 5 tablespoons warm water
- 1 egg plus 1 teaspoon of water, for the egg wash
- cane, turbinado, or raw sugar, to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Halve and core the apples and slice them crosswise 1/4 inch thick. Set aside.
- In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Add the shortening and combine until you have the consistency of small crumbs.
- Slowly drizzle water by the tablespoon until the dough holds together enough to form a ball. If too dry, add the remaining water, and combine until the dough comes together.
- Place dough on a lightly floured parchment sheet, roll out the pastry to a 12 to 14-inch circle and transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Decoratively arrange the apple slices on top leaving a 1-inch border.
- Drizzle honey and sprinkle cinnamon over apples.
- Fold the pastry edge up and over the filling. Brush egg wash onto crust. Dust cane sugar over dough and apples.
- Top galette with pieces of butter before baking.
- Bake galette for 40 to 45 minutes, until the pastry is nicely browned and crisp, and all of the fruit is tender.
Notes
- Make ahead: Dough can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Bake: The crust of a galette is thin, so it has the potential to burn quicker than a pie crust. Keep the galette in the center of the oven, rather than the bottom or top of the oven.
- Serve: Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.
- Storage: Galette is best eaten the day it is baked. Store leftovers, loosely covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
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Photography by Raemi Vermiglio
I love to make galette, like you said easy to make. Ive made it with pears, now I have try the apples. Mom, your gramma used to make them with the fruit from our fruit trees. Was she French? I tell you she was before her time. Mama bonita. Thank you mija for the many memories, ❤