Rustic Apple Galette

An apple galette is a no pressure, no pretensions apple pie ~ just buttery, flaky pastry meets perfect in-season apples with a hint of sugar and spice. No fancy pastry skills required for this favorite fall dessert.

If you’ve never made an apple galette, it’s high time!

I always try to keep a simple pie crust in my freezer just so I can whip something like this up. A fruit galette takes very little effort, there’s no mixing up or cooking of a separate filling, you just toss the fruit with the sugar and spices and plop it right in. It’s so much lighter and less fussy than a big deep-dish pie. It’s perfect for a comfy night at home, and it’s something you can make just because.

This simple recipe lets the important ingredients (tart fall apples and buttery flaky pastry) shine.

This recipe is inspired by Jacques Pepin’s famous Country Apple Galette, but I used my trusty simple pie crust recipe that never fails me. In the apple filling, you’ve got the classic combo of apples and cinnamon, but instead of plain sugar, this tart is sweetened (very lightly) with a combination of brown sugar and honey, giving it a really nice, rustic flavor vibe. There are only a few tablespoons of sugar in the whole thing, which makes it practically a breakfast food in my book.

How to make no fail pie crust from scratch, the easy way

If you haven’t made a pie dough from scratch before, don’t be intimidated, it’s easy!

• Put your flour, butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor (fitted with the metal blade.)
• Pulse the machine repeatedly until the butter is distributed and the mixture is crumbly.
• Add ice water through the top of the machine as you pulse, then briefly process until the dough comes together in a lump.
• Remove to a floured board and divide the dough in half.
• Form into two flat disks, about an inch thick. Wrap well and refrigerate until needed.

Why does the food processor make the best pastry? For one thing, it works fast. This keeps the butter cold, which is what you want because those cold bits of butter create a flakey pastry. Making the dough super quickly also prevents gluten from forming which results in a tender pie crust.

See that little freckly, sugary topping on the pastry?

That’s my beloved Sparkling Sugar at it again, making all my baked goods look just a little cuter and more tempting. I love it sprinkled on everything from muffin tops to cakes, and it makes super dramatic and sparkly sugared fruits like cranberries.

faqs

Can you use readymade dough?

Yes, you can use refrigerated dough, or even frozen puff pastry. For the puff pastry you’ll need a higher cooking temperature, check your package for details.

Can you use different fruits?

Other fall fruit like persimmons or pears would work perfectly!

Can you use readymade apple pie filling?

Yes.

What else can I add to the filling?

I’d like raisins and/or walnuts. You can even soak the raisins in brandy beforehand. You might sweeten with agave, or maple syrup.

Sometimes I’ll spread a thin layer of apple butter onto the pastry before adding the apples.

More simple fall desserts to impress (yourself) ~

• Maple and Mascarpone Fall Fruit Tart
• Fresh Ginger and Pear Cake
• Flourless Pumpkin Spice Cake
• Homemade Gingerbread Ice Cream