APPLE GALETTES and BUTTER PIE CRUST

 

This recipe makes two large or eight individual Apple Galettes.  The large one is above

Here are 6 of the individual ones

Apple peels are pretty to me

Roll out the dough and place the apples in the center.

Then fold the edges around the apples.  Gently lift to a baking sheet with a large spatula.

I've made galettes in mini mini sizes that are like hors d'oeuvres.  I've also made them individually in about a four inch size and I've made large ones that I cut into wedges to serve.  All of them are delicious.

The first time I ever made a pie crust, I was 14 with my cousin in Connecticut.  I believe I used a Better Homes and Gardens Red and White cookbook and it directed me to cut the shortening in with two knives and then stir the dough with a fork until it formed a ball.  It was super easy and worked perfectly and I began to understand the meaning behind "easy as pie."  I made quite a few pies after that.

Then about four years later, someone told me how hard pie crust was and that it never worked for them.  I didn't understand but somehow that negative thinking got to me.  I volunteered to make pie for my Home Economics Cooking Class in high school and for some reason it wasn't working.  Granted I was no longer using the all shortening Better Homes and Garden version and had found a Pate Brisee recipe from Gourmet magazine that was a combination of butter and shortening.  Here it had always worked and now it wasn't working.  I had to quickly call my Auntie Colleen, who has made thousands of pies and have her make the crust for me before school started.  Looking back on all that I know now, I think I wasn't putting enough water in the Gourmet magazine version because it said something like 4-6 tablespoons of water and the crust always came together in four so I didn't think I needed more water. 

Since then I've been testing pie crust forever.  I have 18 different pie crust recipes.  I've tested them with part butter and part shortening, part butter and part lard, all lard or all shortening, with vinegar, without vinegar with an egg, etc etc etc.   So yes the one teaspoon of vinegar is supposed to make a flakier pie crust but I've made thousands without that.  I personally don't like sugar in my pie crust and prefer the inside to be sweet.  When I make quiche I add an egg and that is an all butter crust and I've leave that out of this discussion because that recipe is perfect for quiche but not for pie or hand pies or galettes.

Food processors were a big thing in the 80's and I basically only use mine to make three things:  pesto, pie crust and quiche.  But now I think one of the issues with making pie crust in a food processor is that even though it is fabulous for cutting up the butter into small pea size pieces, it is really easy to over process the dough.  So IF you decide to use a food processor, only use it to cut up the butter and then slowly add the water and then take it out of the food processor BEFORE it forms a ball and just form it by hand.  The key technique with pie crust is not to overwork the dough.

I also seemed to need the food processor if I froze my butter, but now I honestly think going back to just having cold butter in the refrigerator that is soft enough to cut with the two knives or cutting in the butter with a pastry blender (pictured below) is the best method.  Also, starting with cold refrigerated butter and then refrigerating the dough an hour before you use it, it important too.

 

I finally decided this time to start with an amount of flour that works for me and then to go from there on the water and the fat.  Usually the recipe I made for years had 1 1/2 cups flour and if I doubled it, then the 3 cups of flour was too much for the food processor.  So I always had to make individual ones.  Too long to explain all of the details but I decided two cups of flour was best for me.

Some people are concerned with using shortening or lard so this recipe is all butter.  If you want a flakier crust feel free to substitute four tablespoons of butter for four tablespoons of shortening or lard.  And if you want to substitute two teaspoons of vinegar for a little of the water then please do that.  Just be sure it is a TEASPOON of vinegar and not a TABLESPOON of vinegar because that will be too much.

One more note on measuring the butter.  In a restaurant or professional baking butter comes in the smallest size of one pound blocks.  It doesn't come in the sticks as it does in a grocery store.  In a professional bakery everything is weighed.  So I've written the weights and other measurement breakdowns for those who many need it or who may want to substitute four tablespoons of shortening or lard.  

BUTTER PASTRY PIE DOUGH

Make at least one hour or up to one day in advance

2 cups unbleached flour

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1  1/2 sticks of cold unsalted butter (which equals 12 tablespoons or 6 ounces or 3/4 cup)

5-6 tablespoons ice water

Egg Wash for Crust

1 egg, beaten well

2 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream

In a bowl combine the flour and the Kosher salt.  Cut the butter into pieces and put it in the bowl.  Then with two knives or a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until it is the size of small peas.  Then lightly sprinkle the water around the flour mixture and gently stir with a fork until it begins to come together.  Press it into a ball with your hands.

Cut the ball in half and form two disks.  Wrap each dish in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour and up to 24 hours.  It is important to let the dough rest.  So I always make the dough before I start peeling the apples.  

Lightly brush with egg wash before baking.  

FOR THE APPLE FILLING

Be sure to make you pie crust and have the disks resting in the refrigerator before you start on your apple project.  Then preheat your oven to 375

6 apples

3/4 cup sugar

Juice of one lemon

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons corn starch

pinch of salt

3 tablespoons of butter to dot the tops

for the glaze:

1/4 cup apricot jam

1 tablespoon water, Calvados or lemon juice

There are a hundred right ways to do almost everything and there are a hundred options on fillings for apple galettes.  I'm going with the easiest and most straight forward.  But you can add cranberries, honey, ginger, candied ginger, allspice, nutmeg or caramel sauce.  All sorts of options but I would stick with one main complimentary flavor because as I always say, don't make mud by mixing too many things together.   If you add cranberries you will need to cook them down first with the apple mixture.  In fact, some apple galettes precook the apple mixture with brandy and spices.  That is an option too.   I'm just going with the easiest version of raw apples that cook in the oven.

Peel the apples, cut the apple in four pieces, cut out the core and slice fairly thin slices.  

As you put the apple slices in a bowl, sprinkle them with sugar and squeeze a lemon over them.  Keep tossing the apple slices in the lemon as you add more slices so they don't get brown.  

Add the cinnamon, salt and corn starch and mix together.

TO ASSEMBLE THE GALETTES

If you are making individual ones then cut each disk into four pieces and roll out the disks one at a time, keeping the other pie dough wrapped and cold in the refrigerator.  

Roll it out bigger than you think, about an inch larger all the way around then you want the final size to be.

Place the apples in the middle and fold the edges over the side.

Transfer with a spatula to a half sheet tray lined with parchment paper.  Keep the tray in a cool place in your kitchen or refrigerated as you make the rest of the tarts.

Once they are all assembled, dot each one of them with butter and brush the crust lightly with egg wash.  You can sprinkle additional sugar on the crust this point if you wish.  I don't do this but I know some people like it.  

Place in a preheated 375 degree oven and bake for 45 minutes until golden brown. 

When they are near the end of baking heat up your apricot jam and water.  That is what I use the most because I'm usually in a hurry.  But if you want to be fancy you could use a tablespoon of Calvados or Apple Brandy or any brandy.   I use a tiny saucepan and then a silicone pastry brush.   When the Galettes come out of the oven I brush them with the apricot glaze.  

For catering events I make them in advance and then put them in the oven again to reheat them before I serve them.  They are delicious alone or with a scoop of Vanilla ice cream.