Here is a delicious and comforting little dessert you can easily make for any occasion. I love the rustic and forgiving nature of a galette, as compared to its more precise sibling the tart. The main difference is that the crust for the galette is made free form on a baking sheet, while a tart is baked in a mold or a pan. This recipe is adapted from the Galette Landaise recipe in the Country Cooking of France by Anne Willan, the renowned authority on French cooking who founded École de Cuisine, La Varenne in Paris in 1975.
I’ve both simplified and enhanced her recipe. I started out by soaking slices of dried apricots in armagnac so they could fully plump up with that distinctive flavor, they are sublime, even straight from the bowl.
Instead of making the pâte from scratch, I used a roll of puff pastry from Trader Joe’s, which baked up splendidly!
Apple ~ Apricot Galette
Ingredients
- 1 sheet store bought puff pastry
- 1/2 cup melted goose fat, walnut oil or melted butter
- 3 crisp, firm apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dried apricots, sliced
- 5 tablespoons Armagnac {or any good quality brandy}
- about 1/2 cup sugar {I used a demera sugar}
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 egg, beaten
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put the sliced apricots in a bowl you can seal, drizzle with 4 tablespoons of the Armagnac and stir until they are all coated. Let them soak for at least an hour, if you can do this the night before {or days before} the flavors will be more intense.
Toss the sliced apples in the lemon juice along with a tablespoon of the Armagnac.
Gently smooth out the dough, using your “fat of choice” to help in the process. I actually had some goose fat on hand because I made this to follow Mr. Splendid’s Cassoulet de Toulouse, also from Country Cooking of France. You can find goose fat at Asian grocery stores. I loved the authentic, rustic flavor it lent the galette, but I’m sure melted butter or walnut oil will be just as delicious. Once it’s smoothed out, fold/ roll the edges of the crust onto itself to create a border, crimping up the edges and corners in a rustic fashion.
Spoon the beaten egg into the crust and brush it over the crust. It’s okay if it puddles in the main part of the crust. Next, artfully place the apple slices over the egg mix.
Top the apple slices with the Armagnac soaked apricot slices. Generously sprinkle any accumulated Armagnac over the apples.
Using a sifter, sprinkle sugar over your beautiful creation.
Bake for 25 – 35 minutes until the crust has a nice golden appearance.
The galette can be made in advance and served at room temperature or warm from the oven. I wouldn’t wrap it in plastic because you’ll loose some of the crunch of the crust. This would also be delicious made from pears.
Happy New Year!
