Apple-Cranberry Galette with Apple Cider Caramel Sauce
Galettes are the pie maker’s friend. Their fast, easy and they’re supposed to look rustic, which is a polite way of saying it’s okay if they come out a little messy.
This galette is a different as it uses about half as much sugar as a normal recipe. I grew up in a house of feinschmeckers. Everyone had an opinion on food (also: politics, literature, existentialism, gardening, the characters in Winnie the Pooh, etc.) and my father was adamant that most apple pies were too sweet and should never-ever have cinnamon in them. My dad was right. Less sugar and lemon zest brings out pure apple flavor.
Of course, the apple cider caramel sauce adds a layer of sweetness, which is also a reason to keep this tart, well, tart. A note about the apple cider caramel sauce: You will be tempted to pour this on everything including directly into your mouth. No shame in that, she said, wiping her mouth.
Also I use a variety of apples when I make pie. Here I used golden delicious (which hold their shape when cooked), Cortland and Rome apples, both of which are tart cooking apples.
Apple-Cranberry Galette with Apple Cider Caramel Sauce
To make my easy, flaky pie crust dough
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups (157 grams) soft wheat flour (such as Gold Medal Blue Label)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon (4 grams) kosher salt
1/2 cup (115 grams or 8 tablespoons) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/4 cup (60 ml) ice water
How to:
Pour the flour, sugar and salt into the food processor bowl (with cutting blade) and pulse a few times to blend the ingredients.
Add the butter to the bowl and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, Fluff the mixture to make sure the dough doesn’t get compacted into the crevices of the processor.
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of water over the dough and pulse. Keep adding the ice water 2 tablespoons at a time until the dough comes together in small lumps. You don’t need to add the entire 1/4 cup of water, but the dough should hold together easily. It may be a tad moister and stickier than you’re used to. It shouldn’t be wet.
Shape the dough into a 4-inch wide disk and wrap in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. You can make the dough up to 4 days in advance. You can also freeze for up to 3 months and let it defrost in the refrigerator before rolling out.
On a well-floured surface, roll the dough starting from the middle, using downward pressure and rolling to within an inch of the edge. Do not roll to the edge or over it or you will get an uneven dough that’s also a funny shape. Turn the crust 1/8th turn and roll again. Keep rolling and turning until the dough is between 1/4 and 1/2-inch thick. (Occasionally check if flour is needed underneath.)
Gently fold the dough over the rolling pin and lift into the pie pan. Smooth the dough gently into the corners. Cut off any dough that hangs over by more than 1 inch.
To create a pretty edge: fold the overhanging dough underneath the other dough. It should hang only slightly over the edge of the pie pan. Crimp the dough.
Rest the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour (more if you can!), to let the dough rest and prevent it from shrinking down the sides of the pan when it bakes.
To make the apple cider caramel sauce
(adapted from the New York Times)
Ingredients
2 cups (480 mi) apple cider
1/3 cup (75 g) packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
How to:
Pour the apple cider into a small saucepan. Cook over a low simmer (bubbles just ‘round the edge of the pot), until the liquid is reduced by about half. This will take more time than you think. It took me about 15 minutes. Keep the saucepan on a low simmer and whisk in the dark brown sugar, kosher salt and butter. Cook down until syrupy. This also may take longer than you think.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time. The mixture will bubble up in a rather dramatic way. Whisk to combine. If not using correctly you may want to reheat it before serving.
To make the galette:
Ingredients:
1 batch My Easy Flaky Pie Dough
3 to 4 (about 22 ounces) of a variety of apples (see head notes for more info)
3/4 cup ( 3.9 ounces) fresh cranberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Zest of one lemon
1 generous tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons of butter, cut into small bits
Egg wash: 1 egg beaten with a 2 teaspoons of water
How to:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Peel the apples, slice them into quarter-inch slices and then each slice into 3 pieces and put them in a medium-sized bowl.
To the bowl with the apples, add the cranberries, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice and stir to coat. Each apple slice should appear to have some sugar on it.
Generously dust a surface with flour and roll out the dough into a disk about 12 x 14 inches, give or take. You want the dough to be about 1/8th of an inch thick. Better a little thicker than thinner.
Line a baking sheet with parchment. Carefully transfer the circle of dough to the pan.
Pile the filling into the middle of the dough. Spread the filling out, but be sure to leave a 3-inch edge. Dot the cubes of butter all over the top of the filling, with more in the center (the exposed area)
Gently fold up one section of the dough, and follow until all the filling is cozily tucked in. Carefully paint the crust with the egg wash. If it dribbles onto the parchment, wipe it up, or it will start to burn and smell way before the tart is ready. Sprinkle with white or turbinado sugar.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 35 minutes, rotating the pan back to front once or twice to ensure it browns evenly. You will know it’s ready when the crust is an alluring shade of brown, the apples look soft and juices are bubbling up.
Remove the pan to a cooling rack. If juices have leaked out during baking, then join the club. It happens to all of us. You can break them off easily when the pie is cooler. They are like candy and you can eat them quietly in the kitchen without anyone knowing.
When it’s time to serve, find yourself a big spatula or two to support the tart as you move it to a pretty serving plate. If you have a tart pan with a removable bottom, the removable bottom makes a terrific spatula for just this kind of thing.
And as my mother would say when I first started baking pies and they would burn a bit and come out a little funky: it’s nothing a little confectioner’s sugar won’t hide.
