Apple Galette with Salted Maple Whipped Cream

Unpopular opinion: apple pie is overrated. I’ve never been a huge fan of the super-sweet, sticky filling of these Thanksgiving staple desserts—and apple galettes are so much better. It might look a bit slapdash and boring, but I can assure you it is nothing of that sort. Apple pie has long been my sister’s favorite Thanksgiving dessert, but I’m glad to say that she has reconsidered that opinion. The salted maple whipped cream is just the cherry on top, and it is, quoting Sophie, “literally heavenly.” Skip it if you must but at your own risk.

Galettes are so much easier than pies, with no artistry or blind baking needed. They’re beautifully rustic and perfect for the fall. The filling is super simple, and the pastry dough is flaky, salty, sweet, and just perfect. I adapted the pie crust recipe from Bon Appétit's Flaky Pastry Dough. (Visit the link for more detailed instructions and pictures on how to prepare it.)

Apple Galette with Salted Maple Whipped Cream
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 30-35 mins
Yield: 1 large galette

Ingredients
For crust:

• 180 g all-purpose flour
• 12 tbsp butter, cold
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp ice water

For filling and assembly:

• 3 medium apples (I prefer gala)
• juice of one lemon
• 3 tbsp brown sugar, separated
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream (or sub egg wash, milk, etc.)
• 2 tbsp coarse sugar (I use turbinado)

For cream:

• 120 g heavy whipping cream
• 20 g maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp salt
  
  

Directions
For crust:

1. Whisk flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Cut butter into six long rectangles (if using half-cup sticks, cut once in half lengthwise and once crosswise). Toss in the dry mixture and turn out onto surface.
2. Use a rolling pin to flatten the butter into long, flexible strips, scraping down the rolling pin and surface as needed with a bench scraper.
3. Using the bench scraper, gather the mixture into a loose pile. Drizzle the ice water over the mixture and toss to evenly distribute.
4. Gather the pile into a rectangle. Use your rolling pin to flatten the pile until it is approximately 8 inches wide on the short end.
5. Use the bench scraper to fold the pile into thirds. Turn by 90° and repeat until it does not fall apart, carefull not to overwork the dough.
6. Wrap with plastic wrap, pressing into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

For filling, assembly, and baking:

7. Quarter apples and remove the core. Slice thinly from the center and add to a large bowl.
8. Add lemon juice, 2 tbsp brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt to the bowl. Toss to combine and set aside.
9. Remove crust dough from refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out into a rough circle approximately 14 inches in diameter and 1/8 of an inch thick. Transfer to a square of parchment paper on a baking tray or pizza stone.
10. Spoon 1 tbsp brown sugar to the center of the dough. Spread the sugar into a thin layer, leaving a 1.5 inch border around the edge of the dough.
11. Arrange apple slices on the dough within the 1.5 inch border. Fold the edge of the dough over the apples around the entire galette—I made 6 folds into a hexagon shape.
12. Brush heavy whipping cream over the crust and sprinkle on coarse sugar. Place back into the refrigerator as you preheat the oven to 400°F.
13. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the crust is golden and the apples are soft. Transfer to a cooling rack, let cool for 10 minutes, and serve!

For cream:

14. While baking, prepare the cream. Add heavy whipping cream to a medium bowl.
15. With an electric whisk, whisk cream on medium high speed until it begins to thicken.
16. Add maple syrup and salt and continue whisking until it forms soft peaks. Transfer to a ramekin or other bowl and keep refrigerated until serving.

Per 1/12 galette: 200 calories: 21.5 g carbs; 11.6 g fat; 1.7 g protein