Salted-Butter Apple Galette

Salted-Butter Apple Galette with Maple Whipped Cream – a rustic and delicious dessert to enjoy over a weekend family dinner or when entertaining with friends.  The combination of the salted butter and the sweet brown sugar make this a perfectly delectable sweet treat!

It is Fall and I am in love.  I think about the object of my affection constantly: its buttery, salty flavor, sugared crunchy crust, tart and sweet tender apples, and the creamy, nutty froth that glides on top.

It’s the Salted-Butter Apple Galette with Maple Whipped Cream.  I know – I had you at “buttery.”

This recipe is from Bon Appetit’s November 2014 issue and it is the Belle of the Ball.  Much like Cinderella, this laid-back dessert could get easily overlooked, but after one bite you will be…twitterpated and all aglow.

Another thing that makes me happy about this recipe is how it looks – all rustic and homey.  It’s like an open-faced pie but a bit more unique, and even more down-to-earth and simple.

When I made this recipe originally I was in a bit of a rush – just getting back from a whirlwind trip and making a full meal for guests that same day.  So to cut down the prep time, I swapped out a store-bought pie crust for homemade.  Don’t judge people.  You’ve been there before – right??  Sometimes you just need a sure thing – Pillsbury to the rescue!

I’m excited to report I have finally found a pie crust that works for me every time.  It’s a recipe I found on Fine Cooking and I first used it in my savory Heirloom Tomato Galette recipe a while back.  It is tried and true and has never let me down.

I like using granny smith apples for baking but you could also use a Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Braeburn, Cortland or Rome.  They’re all great options for baking since they offer a balance of sweet and tart flavor, and their skin doesn’t break down in the oven.

Let me walk you through the steps to get this buttery apple goodness on the table!

How to make the Salted-Butter Apple Galette!

First, you make your crust following the steps below in the recipe card.  Then refrigerate it for 1 hour while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees so it gets good and hot and the galette cooks evenly.

Next, wash and dry your apples.  We’re leaving the skins on so you don’t want to skip this step.  Now cut them in half and then into quarters.  Remove the core from each wedge and then slice them very thinly – about 1/8″ thick.

Now it’s time to make your brown butter.   Place your butter in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until butter foams, then browns (be careful not to burn).  About 6 minutes should do it.  Remove the pan from heat allow it to cool just a bit, and slowly add in the vanilla extract.  Be careful when adding a cool liquid to hot butter since it could react and splatter on you.

It’s finally time to make your crust (the exact instructions are in the recipe card below.)  Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rough 14×10”rectangle – about ⅛” thick.  Now carefully transfer it to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Next, arrange your sliced apples in rows on top of the dough, overlapping and leaving a 1½” border all the way around the outside edge.  Brush with the brown butter and sprinkle on the brown sugar.

Now carefully lift the edges of the dough over apples, tucking and overlapping as needed to keep the rectangular shape.  Then beat your egg with a little water and brush the egg wash onto the edges of the dough.  Now sprinkle the crust with the granulated sugar and bake!

When baked, the apples will be soft and  juicy and the crust will be golden brown.

Finally, beat your whipping cream and maple syrup together until soft peaks form… now it’s time to slice and serve!

Whether you’re having friends over or just enjoying dinner with the family, this Salted-Butter Apple Galette is a home-run for any fall menu!

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Salted-Butter Apple Galette

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

55 mins

 

Buttery, salty flavor, sugared crunchy crust, tart and sweet tender apples, and the creamy, nutty froth that glides on top

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Apple, dessert, Galette

Servings: 6 Servings

Calories: 390 kcal

Author: Alison Roman, Bon Appetit Nov 2014 (Galette crust from Fine Cooking as linked above)

Ingredients

For The Galette Dough:

• 6 3/4 ounces unbleached all purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 1/2 ounces cold unsalted butter (9 tablespoons) cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4-5 tablespoons ice water

For The Galette:

• 1/4 cup salted butter (½ stick)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean extract
• All-purpose flour for dusting
• 1 pound baking apples scrubbed, cored, and sliced ⅛” thick (I used 2 large Granny Smith apples)
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

For The Maple Whipped Cream:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon Maple sugar

Instructions

For The Galette Dough:

1. In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt to combine. Add the butter pieces, and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal with some pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle with 4 Tbs. of the ice water, and pulse until the dough comes together. If too dry, add the remaining water by the teaspoon, and pulse until the dough just comes together.

2. Form the dough into a ball, place between two sheets of plastic wrap, and press it into an 8-inch round disc. Wrap it tightly in the plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days before rolling out. (Or freeze it for up to 2 months; thaw in the refrigerator overnight before rolling it out.)
   

For The Galette:

1. Place a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place butter in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring often until the butter foams, about 6 minutes.  Be careful not to burn!  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, then carefully stir in vanilla bean extract. Be careful when adding a cool liquid to hot butter since it could react and splatter.

3. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a rough 14x10”rectangle about ⅛” thick.
4. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

5. Arrange sliced apples on top of dough, overlapping and leaving a 1½” border along the outside edge.  Brush apples with brown butter and sprinkle on the brown sugar.

6. Carefully lift edges of dough over apples, tucking and overlapping as needed to keep rectangular shape.

7. Beat egg with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl, brush crust with egg wash, and sprinkle crust with granulated sugar.

8. Bake, until the apples are soft and juicy and crust is golden brown, 35-40 minutes.  Rotate the galette after the first 20 minutes.  Let cool slightly on baking sheet before slicing.

9. Serve with your favorite ice cream or whipped cream (see notes below for recipe).

For The Whipped Cream:

1. Beat cream and maple sugar in a medium bowl to medium-soft peaks. Serve alongside the Galette.

Recipe Notes

Personally, when I’m making baked goods and using apples, I prefer Granny Smith apples – they are my go-to baking apple - always crisp, tart and barely sweet. Perfection.

The Galette can be baked 2 days ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature. Reheat slightly before serving.

If you'd like you can use a store-bought pie crust instead of making your own dough.