It’s Fall and there are apples a-plenty. One quick trip to the local orchard yielded more apples that I honestly know what to do with, and we eat a lot of apples. So what better to do than dust off our pastry dough recipe and put together a rustic galette with some fresh picked Granny Smiths? Pair that with an easy homemade caramel sauce, and you are ready to tackle sweater weather. Who needs pumpkin spice anyway?
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First things first, if you are looking for the recipe, I will put it down at the bottom of the page, so you have to scroll through a few other items to get there. I know…so devious. At least I am not telling you my life history before you get there. Be aware that any links to Amazon on this page are affiliate links (I get a few cents if you use them to buy anything). Onward!
The short crust pastry I use in this episode can be made by hand without a ton of fuss, but if you have a food processor, it can make the entire process almost foolproof. And, it will only take moments to put together a nice pastry dough. Need a food processor? I have a Cuisinart and love it. Prices can vary widely depending on the model, but here is a good entry-level machine with 8-cup capacity. If you need a larger processor then the 13-cup model is a good alternative.
Fancy a rolling pin that comes with thickness guides? We have this Joseph Joseph model, and absolutely love it.
A silicone mat can also be a great tool for working dough if you don’t have a good countertop or other surface to use. Many come printed with handy size diagrams too so you can see how large your crust is when you roll it out.
There are a couple of baking books that I would also recommend. I adapted the short crust recipe from Pamela Clark’s great book “Pocket Pies.” Another amazing resource for home bakers, and my source for the nearly foolproof caramel sauce recipe, is Baking Illustrated. The folks at Cook’s Illustrated compiled their most useful tips and best recipes. Highly recommended.
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Basic Pastry Crust
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Two 9 inch pastry crusts 1x
Description
A simple and very versatile pastry crust. Substitute one tablespoon of sea salt instead of confectioners sugar if you want a crust for a more savory recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 + 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons confectioners (powdered) sugar
- 4 ounces butter, very cold, cut into small cubes
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons ice water
Instructions
- Sift flour and confectioners sugar into bowl of a food processor, add butter. Pulse until the mixture becomes crumbly.
- Add egg yolk and water and pulse until ingredients are beginning to cling together. If necessary, add water in small amounts at a time and pulse together if ingredients are not beginning to cling.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until dough comes together, about 30 seconds. Form into a ball and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Easy Caramel Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 1.5 cups 1x
Description
A nearly foolproof caramel sauce recipe, adapted from Cook’s Illustrated’s “no-stir” method.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add water to 2 quart saucepan. Carefully pour the sugar into the water, making sure not to let any of the sugar touch the sides of the saucepan. Turn heat to high, cover, and bring to a boil. Do not stir! As soon as it reaches a boil, remove lid and continue to boil the sugar and water mixture on high, until the mixture begins to take on a light tan color, approximately 6-8 minutes. This would be about 300 F degrees on a candy thermometer.
- While the syrup is boiling, heat the cream and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat, bringing it just to a simmer.
- Reduce heat of the sugar and water mixture to medium and continue to cook the syrup mixture until it turns a deep amber color, approximately 1 minute more. This would be about 350 F degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Pour about one quarter of the hot cream into the caramel syrup. Be careful, as it will bubble and foam vigorously. As soon as the bubbling calms down, pour in the remaining cream along with the lemon juice and vanilla extract. Stir or whisk rapidly until everything is combined and smooth. Pour caramel sauce into a heatproof container or jar and let cool to room temperature before refrigerating. The sauce will keep up to two weeks refrigerated in an airtight container.
Caramel Apple Galette
Description
A galette (also known as a crostata in Italian cuisine) is the rustic, less fussy cousin to a regular pie. Toss out the pan and free form the crust and there you have it. For this recipe, we pair the seasonal apple galette with a scrumptious homemade caramel sauce. A scoop of vanilla ice cream would be perfect!
Ingredients
- 1 basic pastry crust
- 3 Tablespoons, approximately, caramel sauce
- Egg wash, made from one light beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon of milk
For the galette filling:
- 2 to 3 large apples, peeled and thinly sliced (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or other good baking apples)
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1, 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Instructions
Prepare the filling:
- Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples. Combine apple slices in large bowl with lemon juice, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Stir gently to combine.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
Make the galette
- Preheat your oven to 375 F degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out your pastry dough into an approximately 10 inch round crust. Transfer your crust to a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Pile the sliced apple filling in the center of the crust, leaving about 2 inches of crust around the sides. Begin folding the sides of the crust up around the apples, pinching together the edges, until you have formed your galette. Brush the crust with the egg wash.
- Bake at 375 F degrees for 35-38 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and the filling bubbly. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before drizzling with the caramel sauce. Enjoy!
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