VANILLA-SPICED APPLE GALETTE

The French will always have my heart when it comes to desserts. In this recipe, the classic vanilla and apple flavor notes are unbeatable. You may be wondering why there isn’t any cinnamon or nutmeg in this apple galette, and I’ll tell you bravely, because it simply doesn’t need it. Leaving out these overbearing spices will allow you to taste the butter, savor the caramelized sugar, revel in the softened apples, and be romanced by the vanilla whispers. This galette is best eaten the same day, which is never an issue, because when it’s served, there are never any leftovers.

Vanilla-spiced apple galette

Filling

5 Golden Delicious apples
1 cup sugar
2 vanilla beans, split and seeded
1 lemon, juiced
4 pea-sized nibs of butter

Galette Dough: I’ve always used David Lebovitz’s recipe for the tart dough

1 ½ cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (115 grams) unsalted cold butter, cubed
6 tablespoons ice water

Step 1: Dough

In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, and butter. For this part, it is best to work as quickly as possible. Start rubbing the ingredients together using your fingertips, smashing the butter cubes with the dry ingredients to form a sand-like texture. When you have created a uniform mixture, add the water and combine with your hands. Next, move the mixture onto your countertop. Place the base of your hand in the center of the mixture. Press down and slide your hand away from you. Scrape the mixture back into a circle with a pastry scraper or your hands and repeat the process until a loose dough begins to form. This happens as the butter is being pressed into the flour. This process should take no more than two minutes and the dough should not be overworked. Create a disk with the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Make the filling

Peel the apples, discard the stems and seeds, and cut them into thin delicate slices. Place the cut apples in a deep bowl, add the lemon, sugar, and vanilla and toss them gently together. Set aside.

Step 3: Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius

Step 4: Roll out the dough

Dust your work surface with a thin layer of flour. Take the dough out of the fridge and remove the plastic wrap. With a rolling pin, whack the dough two times, turn it 90 degrees and give it another two whacks. Roll out the dough into a circle that is 1 cm thick. When it’s ready, roll your dough onto your rolling pin and place it carefully on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

Step 5: Fill the galette

Drain the excess juices from the apples. Keeping 5 cm of the galette edges free, place the apple slices side by side forming a circle. Form another circle within the first to fully cover the base of the galette. Add the nibs of butter evenly across the apples. Fold the free edges of the dough over the apple filling and brush with an egg wash (for the egg wash, whisk 1 raw egg with 1 teaspoon of water). Add an extra sprinkle of sugar along the edges as well as at center of the galette.

Step 6: Bake!

Bake the galette for 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden. I prefer my pie crusts more cooked than usual, so I let it bake for closer to 55 minutes. Serve hot and topped with vanilla ice cream.