Caramel Apple Galette: An Autumn Treat You’ll Love Forever
Do you ever scroll through Pinterest and gape in awe at all the beautiful pies and think, “Why can’t I do that?” Okay, well, that’s why we’re making a caramel apple galette.
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This is a recipe that is going to look Instagramable and Pinterest-perfect BECAUSE it’s rustic and imperfect. To cap it off, it’s absolutely delicious. So, while you’re planning out your Thanksgiving dessert list, especially this year, plan for a dessert that’s easy on you while also being a true stunner.
First things first, let’s address the filling. Obviously, it’s apples and caramel, but how do you A) make a good caramel and B) treat the apples so they look presentable in a galette?
Making the Caramel for Your Galette
Caramel sounds so finicky when you watch a bunch of pastry chefs with their candy thermometers talking about Hard Ball and Soft Ball. You’re like, “Oh no, I don’t do sports, but thanks.”
Let’s simplify caramel. I don’t want this to be intimidating for you. And honestly, you could be topping your sundaes with homemade caramel every week if you only knew how simple it is.
Caramel is made from simple ingredients: sugar, water, butter, milk, vanilla, and salt. I’ve added bourbon because HOLY COW does it just make it that much better.
You start by boiling the sugar and water to caramelize the sugar. You don’t want to stir it, but you do want to keep a silicone pastry brush handy to brush sugar crystals down from the sides of the pan. Crystals like to build on each other, and you’ll end up with hard bits in your sauce.
A candy thermometer is, indeed, very helpful to produce great caramel, and you want to aim for 350ºF. Otherwise, you’re eyeballing it as it boils for it to turn a deep amber color.
It’s at this point you can start whisking in cubes of room temperature butter until it’s fully incorporated. Turn off the heat and continue whisking as you drizzle in room temperature cream or milk. When it’s smooth and mixed together, you want to let your caramel cool.
While that’s happening, turn your attention to your apples.
Making Apples Look Good in a Galette
The key to a really pretty galette is how you arrange the fruit, in this case the apples. What are you aiming for? Do you want a pretty design? Do you want it to look offhanded haphazard? Does the look of hasselback fruit call to you?
You should know before you begin cutting into your apples what look you’re going for. For example, if you want more color, you might consider leaving the skins on and setting your apple slices on end so the peels are at an advantage. Just keep in mind that color does fade in the oven.
If you are more concerned with getting a good bite than how it looks, you may be tempted to dump your apples into the crust and call it good. That’s fine, too. I only recommend that you give them a little finesse so that they’re evenly distributed for cooking.
The Perfect Crust for a Caramel Apple Galette
I’m a really big fan of the all-butter crust with spices already in it. I especially love using bourbon as my liquid. For me, I always rely on my favorite pie crust recipe. It’s flaky, it’s crisp on top, and it’s tasty as can be.
If you have a pie crust recipe from Grandma or Aunt Ann that you swear by, seriously, use it! I know I’m supposed to be running a business here, but I want you to bake something you love.
Try my crust or use your own. It’s going to turn out great. Heck, if you buy a storebought crust, I promise not to tell.
And while this is ordered after the caramel and the apples, I do actually recommend that you get your pie crust dough made and in the fridge before you start your caramel so it has time to chill.
But to put a beautiful finish on whatever crust you use, brush it with egg whites and sprinkle on some turbinado sugar. It’ll add crunch and sparkle!
So, that’s all there is to it, really. I promised it was simple! Comment if you’ve tried it, share this recipe with your friends, and please post pictures of your work on Instagram tagged @ellejayathome #ellejayathome. I’d love to see how your caramel apple galette turns out!
Caramel Apple Galette
Equipment
- 2 Medium Mixing Bowls
- Box grater
- Small saucepan
- Silicone Pastry Brush
- Sheet pan
- Parchment paper
- Wire Cooling Rack
- Peeler
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 1⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp pure cane sugar
- ½ tsp pink himalayan sea salt
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter frozen and grated
- 5 – 7 Tbsp ice cold bourbon
Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup pure cane sugar
- ⅓ cup water
- ½ cup whole milk room temperature
- 3 Tbsp butter room temperature
- 1 tbsp bourbon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp pink himalayan sea salt
Apple Filling
- 5 small baking apples Honeycrisp or Winesap are good
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
Finishing the Galette
- 2 Tbsp egg whites
- 2 Tbsp turbinado sugar
Instructions
Pie Dough
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar for the pie crust. Grate in 1/3 cup of frozen butter, and toss to coat. Sprinkle in 5 to 7 tablespoons of ice cold bourbon (bourbon that has been poured over ice and let to sit until it's chilled).
- Mix with your hand, squeezing to test for hydration. It should easily form together like clay. Dump the contents onto your work surface and form the dough into a ball. There should be few dry patches, but it should all come together as a whole.
- Flatten your dough into a 1-inch thick disk, wrap, and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
Caramel Sauce
- In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil. Brush the sides of the pot down with a damp pastry brush to avoid crystals.
- When the mixture is amber-colored, or 350ºF on a candy thermometer (this will take between 6 and 12 minutes depending on your stove), remove from heat. Whisk in cubes of butter until combined.
- Continue whisking as you slowly drizzle in the milk, vanilla, bourbon, and salt. Cool completely before use.
Prep the Apples
- Peel, core, and slice your apples into 1/4 inch thick half-moon slices and place in a mixing bowl. Toss with cinnamon and ginger, and cover until the caramel is cooled, and the pie dough is chilled.
Constructing the Galette
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Flour your work surface and roll out the pie dough to a little less than 1/4 inch thick, and 16 inches diameter.
- Place a sheet of parchment on your baking sheet, and transfer the pie dough to the parchment paper.
- Spread 1/2 cup of caramel sauce in the center of your crust and spread it into a 12-inch diameter circle.
- Place the apples in whatever design you wish over the caramel, and top with an additional 1/4 cup of caramel sauce.
- Fold the sides of your pie dough up and over the apple filling, leaving the center exposed.
- Brush the top of the pie dough with egg whites and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way. To serve, top with vanilla ice cream and more caramel sauce.
