APPLE GALETTES!
Join me for Apple Tasting Pie Baking
Mill City Farmers Market - October 11
Seed Savers Apple Tasting
Join me for Apple Tasting Pie Baking
Mill City Farmers Market - October 11
Seed Savers Apple Tasting
Oh the apple galette is a gallant pie. This rustic French tart exposes just enough of the apples so caramelize, while the crust bakes to a golden, buttery crisp. Apple season is upon us so get rolling.
Look for a mix of apple varieties, blending softer sorts that will fall apart as they cook with those that hold their shapes. Balance very sweet apples with tart, mouth puckering fruit for depth of flavors, too.
Dan Bussey, Seed Savers Orchard Manager, (and Pommologist, or apple geek), is rediscovering heritage apples, caring for the heritage orchard that now sports over 550 apples varieties. He's devoted his career to reintroducing the most interesting and delicious varieties and helping to make them available to us cooks.
Swing by Mill City Farmers Market, October 10 around 10:00 am for a sampling of these new old apples and a celebration of pies!
Meanwhile, check out the apples coming in to market, like Summer Gold, Bonnie's Best (Sweetland Orchard), chestnut crab (a lovely, tiny sweet crabapple), Connell Red, Harlson (my personal favorite).
Recipes? Here are my picks:
Mile High Apple Pie
Makes 1 double crust 9-inch, double crust pie
1 Basic Butter Crust Recipe (see below)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch cloves
Pinch salt
¼ to ½ cup sugar, to taste
2-1/2 to 3 pounds apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch
wedges
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. whisk together the
cinnamon, allspice, salt and ¼ cup sugar. Add the apples and gently toss, taste
and add more sugar if necessary.
Roll 1 piece of dough on a lightly floured surface with a
floured rolling pin into a 12 to 13-inch round. Fit this into a 9-inch pie plate.
Trim the edges leaving a slight overhang. Turn the filling into the shell.
Roll out the remaining piece of dough on the floured surface
with the floured rolling pin. Cover the pie with the second dough round and
trim, leaving a generous overhang. Press the edges of the dough together, then
crimp. Sprinkle the piecrust with a little more sugar and cut three steam vents
into the top of the dough.
Put the pie on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes
Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F. and continue baking until the crust is
golden and the filling is bubbling, about 45 to 50 minutes more. Remove and
cool the pie on a rack before serving.
Rustic Apple Tart
Serves 8
1 Basic Butter Crust Recipe (See below)
About 2 pounds apples, peeled, cored and cut 1/8-inch thick
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces
¼ cup currant or apple jelly
1 tablespoon Calvados or apple brandy
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet
with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured work surface, with a lightly floured
rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 16-inch round. Carefully transfer to the
prepared baking sheet.
Mound the apple slices over the dough and fold the edges of
the dough over the filling, partially covering he apples, pleating the dough as
necessary. Dot the apples with butter.
Bake the galette until the pastry is golden and the apples
are tender, about 40 to 45 minutes.
While the gallette is baking, put the jelly and Calvados
into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring, for
about 1 minute.
Remove the baked gallette from the oven, brush with the
melted jelly. Serve warm or at room temperature topped with Calvados Whipped
Cream.
Calvados Whipped
Cream
Makes 2 cups
1 Cup cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Calvados or apple brandy
In a medium bowl, whip together the honey and cream until
the cream holds stiff peaks. Beat in the Calvados or brandy.
Basic Butter Crust
(for double crust)
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon fine salt
1 cup cold, unsalted butter
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water
Blend together the flour and salt. Using your finger tips or
a pastry blender (or in a food processor, fitted with a steel blade) cut the
butter into the mixture until it resembles a lumpy meal. Drizzle in the ice
water while gently tossing with a fork (or pulse into the food processor),
until the water is incorporated.
Using your
hands, gather the dough into a ball. Turn it onto a work surface and divide in
half. Lightly flour your hands and a work surface and flatten the dough into a
5-inch disk. Wrap each disk and refrigerate until fir, at least 1 hour or
overnight.
Apple Walnut &
Honey Bars
Makes about 2 dozen bars
Base
¾ cup unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
Topping
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 cups roughly chopped walnuts
2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch pieces
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
To make the Base: In a food processor fitted with a steel
blade, pulse together the butter, flour, brown sugar and salt. Turn into an
ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan and press evenly onto the bottom with a
spatula or lightly floured hands. Bake the base until golden, about 20
minutes. Remove.
To make the topping: In a heavy bottomed medium saucepan,
melt together the butter, brown sugar and honey over medium-low heat. Bring to
a simmer and stirring occasionally, cook for about 1 minute. Stir in the
walnuts.
Spread the apples over the base, then spoon the topping over
the apples, spreading it evenly. Return the bars to the oven and bake until
bubbly, about 20 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into squares.