If you want to make something that impresses someone, that looks difficult, but just isn't, that smells like heaven when you take it out of the oven and that tastes pretty damn good, make this. It's called a galette, which isn't meant to scare you off. It's just a free form tart. It's easier than making a normal tart because you don't even need a tart pan, you just fold up the edges of the dough (which is extremely easy to make, by the way). You can stuff it with any type of fruit or dessert filling you'd like, and then you just throw it in the oven. You can even make savory ones which are out of this world (coming soon!).
So go to the store or the farmer's market or wherever, pick up some fresh, seasonal fruit (apples and pears which are in season right now work great) and go make one of these. You'll be happy you did. And you'll be surprised at how easy it is!
Dessert Galette
Adapted from David Lebovitz
This recipe calls for apples, but any fruit will work. Also, mix and match types of fruit if you want! The recipe also calls for fragipane, an almond paste spread, which tastes great but also helps absorb some of the extra moisture so the tart doesn't become soggy when it bakes. If you don't want to make it, just crumble up some cookies on the dough before adding the fruit. This goes great with vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream!
For the dough:
-1.5 cups flour
-1 T. sugar
-1/2 t. salt
-1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, chilled and cut into half-inch cubes
-6 T. ice water
For the filling:
-5 medium apples, cored, peeled and cut into slices
-fragipane (see recipe here) or 1/2 cup crumbled cookies
-2 T. melted butter
-4 T. granulated sugar
-Combine flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl and mix well. Using the tips of your fingers or a food processor, work in the cubes of butter until the mixture is coarse and no large chunks of butter remain. Work quickly if using your fingers to ensure the butter does not melt. Add the water and mix well until a dough is formed. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least half an hour.
-Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
-Roll out dough until about 14 inches across, about 1/4 inch thick. Don't worry if it's not a perfect circle. Place on baking sheet. Spread on the fragipane or crumbled cookies, leaving about a 2 inch border. Arrange the apples over the fragipane or cookies in concentric circles. Fold up the 2-inch sides in whatever way you like over the fruit. I folded my dough over in a wave-like pattern, which looks nice (see photo).
-Brush the the fruit and dough with melted butter and then sprinkle with sugar.
-Bake until the crust is golden-brown, about 1 hour. Cool briefly on a wire rack and eat at once.
