Apple Cinnamon Galette

It’s well documented on this blog (and if you know me in real life…) that I don’t like/am mildly terrified of baking. But every fall, like clockwork, I feel the need to bake something with apples in it. It’s a personal rite of fall passage, along with my need to decorate with tiny gourds, take pictures of leaves changing, carve a pumpkin, and cook a batch of chili (see: Finally Fall Chili). Around here we’re a little desperate for fall’s arrival. We’ve had a few glorious days here and there, including a gorgeous weekend when we were in Charlottesville, but the days keep reverting back to a hot, humid, sunny, and mid-80s. So instead of being inspired by the fall weather for this dessert today, I’m hoping by making it, I’ll convince the fall gods to stick around for good here soon! And furthermore, October is not only National Apple Month, it’s National Dessert Month! So it’s only right that we celebrate, even though it doesn’t quite feel like fall yet.

The even better news about this baking attempt is that on the scale of baking things, galettes are definitely closer to a zero than a ten. So even I can’t screw it up! They’re not even supposed to look neat or perfect! Imperfection is perfection 🙂 Which is why I’m not sure why I’ve never made one before. Imperfection is my kind of baking.

Apple Cinnamon Galette

(Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction)

Ingredients:

• Crust
  • 1 1/2 cups AP flour
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 cup cold water
• Filling
  • 3 Granny Smith apples, sliced
  • 2 tbsp white wine
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Instructions:

1. Put the stick of butter in the freezer for 30 minutes prior to making the dough. Meanwhile, mix all of the dry dough ingredients together. When the butter is cold, use a grater to cut the butter into the mix. Add the vanilla and then stir the water in slowly until a dough forms. Knead a few times and form into ball. Then flatten into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour.
2. Slice the apples and place in a large bowl with all of the other filling ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until time to assemble the galette.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a silicone mat (or parchment paper) on a large cookie sheet.
4. Roll out the dough into a large circle on a floured surface. Arrange the apples in the center, keeping them as flat as possible and leaving a 2-3 inch border. Fold the edges over, pressing them down.
5. Bake for ~30 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.