Salted Brown Butter Apple Galette

I was feeling in the fall spirit this weekend and decided to grab some apples at the farmers market to make mini apple galettes. Smitten Kitchen makes these incredible sea salt and brown butter rice krispie treats, which are the perfect combination of salty and sweet, so I decided to mimic that in these galettes. I browned some salted butter, then added a pinch of flaky Maldon salt. You’d think this would be too salty, but with the brown sugar you add to the top, plus the sweetness of the cooked apples, it ends up being the perfect mix. I ate one whole galette myself then brough the rest to the office to stop myself from eating the others!

Ingredients:

Dough:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 large egg, beaten

Filling:
1/2 stick salted butter
Good pinch Maldon salt
2 medium baking apples, such as Gala or Pink Lady, cut into 1/8 inch slices
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
Granulated sugar
Light brown sugar

Start by making the dough as it will need some time to chill in the fridge. Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or use your hands. If using your hands, you simply want to roll the butter chunks between your fingers with the flour until it resembles the texture of small peas. Pour in the egg and mix until incorporated. Pour out onto a flat surface and shape into a disk, then wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least an hour.

When the dough is almost ready preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small pan, melt the salted butter over medium heat, stirring constantly until fully melted. Add the vanilla extract. Continue cooking until the butter begins to brown – you’ll see the color start to turn a bit amber and it will start to smell nutty. Be careful though because it can quickly burn from there, so do not over cook. Turn off the heat and add a pinch of Maldon salt.

Cut the dough in half and place the other half back in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. Flour a flat surface as well as your dough and rolling pin. Roll out the dough until you have a circle shape. Be gentle with the dough as it can break easily. Luckily, a galette is meant to have a more rustic look though, so it is OK if it is not perfect! Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Making two rows in the center of the dough, overlap the apple slices one by one. Keep a 1 inch border around the edge. Brush the apples well with the butter mixture, then fold the edges of the dough over the apples, brush the dough with egg wash, and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Lastly, sprinkle the apple filling with brown sugar.

Repeat with the other half of the dough, then place both galettes in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the apples are softened. Let cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve with a scoop of ice cream!


Blueberry Lemon Hand Pies


Who doesn’t love a perfectly sized pie that fits right in your hand? I got some beautiful blueberries in my CSA last week and decided to make some mini hand pies to bring into the office, and to my lovely sister who just had her first baby! She deserves a million pies. It’s been in the 90s here all week so I was lazy and used frozen pie dough that I thawed to cut my kitchen time down a little. They are very easy to make and absolutely delicious! I found that they keep for about 2 days, but not much longer as the crust gets soft from the moisture. Best to store in an airtight container, but make sure they are completely cool before putting them away.

Ingredients: From Bon Appetit magazine (makes 12)
2 boxes 9 inch pie crusts, defrosted
4 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar (I thought this was a bit much and would use a little less next time)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water
Raw sugar for dusting
All-purpose flour, for dusting

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together the blueberries, sugar, salt, lemon zest and lemon juice. Flour your surface as well as the rolling pin. Take your thawed dough and shape it into a ball, sprinkle well with flour. Roll dough into (2) 15×12 inch rectangles (I could only get mine into a square!) and cut 6 inch smaller rectangles either with a knife or pastry cutter. Brush edges of each rectangle with water and scoop about a tablespoon of the blueberry mixture into the center. Fold in a diagonal and seal edges with a fork. Brush with the egg wash, sprinkle with raw sugar, and slit a hole in the top. Transfer the pies to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in oven for 35-45 minutes until golden brown. The blueberry juice will leak as it cooks. Once finished, transfer to a wire rack.