Spiked Apple Galette

Recipe Author: Conne Ward Cameron

Thinking about Thanksgiving desserts? Here’s gorgeous recipe from chow.com. It’s a bit of work, but so worth it. Make the dough up to 2 days ahead of time, but bake the galette so it will be warm when you serve it. If you don’t have sanding sugar for the sparkly finish, just use granulated sugar instead.

Ingredients:

For the crust: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the dough 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/8 teaspoon fine salt 1 3/4 sticks (7 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten 4 to 7 tablespoons ice water For the filling: 3 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and cut into large dice 1 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon To assemble: 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces Water 1 tablespoon coarse sanding sugar 1/4 cup Calvados or other apple brandy

Preparation:

For the crust:
Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and butter in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, mix the butter into the dry ingredients until it is in pea-size pieces. Add the egg yolks and 4 tablespoons ice water and mix just until the dough comes together. (Add an additional 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water if necessary, but do not overwork the dough or it will become tough.) Shape into a flat disk, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Meanwhile, make the filling.

For the filling:
Combine all of the ingredients in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved and the apples have begun to release their juices, about 4 minutes. Simmer until the apples are tender on the outside but still firm when a knife is inserted into the middle, about 15 to 20 minutes more.

Remove the pan from the heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the apples to a shallow dish to cool for at least 10 minutes. Set the pan with the reserved juices aside for later use.

To assemble:
Once the dough has chilled, place it on a lightly floured surface and, using a floured rolling pin, roll it into a 16-inch circle (about 1/4 inch thick). Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Loosely fold in the edges of the pastry as needed to fit on the baking sheet, transfer to the refrigerator, and chill at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the middle.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and unfold any edges. Spread the cooled apples in the center of the pastry, leaving a 2-inch border.

Fold the edges of the dough over the filling, covering about 1 inch of the apples and pleating the dough every 2 inches as you go.

Dot the apples with the butter, then brush the pastry edge lightly with water and sprinkle with the coarse sanding sugar. Bake the galette until the pastry is golden and the apples are tender, about 40 to 45 minutes.

While the galette is baking, return the frying pan with the apple juices to medium heat and reduce to 1/4 cup, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the Calvados, and set aside.

Transfer the baked galette to a rack and pour the Calvados mixture over the apples. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

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