Apples and spice make everything nice! Even when the weather in October looks like this!
Because apples cook differently, I like to use a variety. Choose a tart and sweet combination, and include some that will maintain some crunch during cooking. During apple season I visit orchards and use locally grown apples. If I’m purchasing from the store I use Granny Smith for a firmer, tart apple, along with a sweeter variety like Honeycrisp or Pink Lady. The four varieties below were used in the Galette. My favorite is the Keepsake.
The Galette is free form and flat so it bakes faster than a traditional pie. For this reason I saute the apples so they are already tender. Sauteing also brings out the juices and natural sweetness of the apples. Adding a bit of caramel sauce creates browning and caramelization. You can pour off excess juice before adding the caramel so the apples maintain some texture. The photo on the left is the start of sauteing. On the right the apples are about finished - they still have shape and texture, but they are tender (not mushy) and golden brown on the edges.
Remove the cooked apples from the heat and stir in some cinnamon and spice. Roll the dough to 11” circles and trim the edges so they are even. This recipe makes two 10” galettes. Transfer the rolled circles to a lined sheet pan before adding the filling. Once the apples are cool, leaving a 1” edge, layer the dough with the cream cheese filling and the apples. Fold up the edge and top with the streusel. I brush the edge with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar to create a nice golden brown color.
This is a great recipe to stage. There are four steps: pastry dough, cream cheese filling, apples, and streusel, and all can be prepared ahead of assembling and baking. Once baked the galette will keep chilled for several days. We place cut slices in a pie pan and warm in a low heat oven until hot. Drizzle with warm sauce and enjoy the comfort of apples!
Keep reading after the recipe for the senior living version - Apple Pie Squares.
Apple Galette
Cream cheese filling:
8 oz Cream cheese, soft
1/4 cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla
Pastry:
8 oz Butter, cubed & cold
2 1/2 cups Flour
1 T Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Water, ice cold
Streusel topping:
1 1/4 cups Flour
2/3 cup Oats
2 T Sugar
6 T Brown sugar
Pinch Salt
6 oz Butter, cold
Apples:
3 lbs. Apples, assorted varieties - peel, core, and wedge
4 T Butter
1 cup Caramel, butterscotch or buttered rum sauce
Make cream cheese filling:
In a mixer using the paddle attachment beat cream cheese until smooth.
Slowly pour in sugar and continue to beat until smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl several times.
On low speed slowly add egg and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
Chill until ready to use.
Make the streusel:
In a mixer using the paddle attachment combine all the dry ingredients.
Blend in the butter until the topping comes together and forms clumps.
Topping can be made ahead and stored the refrigerator or freezer.
Make the pastry dough:
In a food processor mix dry ingredients.
Add butter & pulse until mixture resembles course meal with some pea size clumps.
Add water and pulse just until dough holds together (about 10 times). Gather dough into two discs, wrap and chill.
In a large skillet melt the butter and add the apples.
Sauté the apples over medium heat. As they cook down, they will release juice. Allow to simmer and reduce the liquid.
Once they are tender stir in 1/4 cup caramel sauce. Increase heat so apples will begin to brown and caramelize.
Remove from heat, stir in cinnamon and spice to taste, and allow to cool.
Roll chilled dough into circles, trim edges and place on parchment lined sheet pans.
Leaving a 1-inch border spread cream cheese filing onto dough. Top with sautéed apples.
Fold edges up and pinch. Top with streusel.
Egg wash the outer crust and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 425. Check after 20 minutes and rotate. Bake another 20 minutes until golden brown and filling is set.
The galette will keep several days in the frig.
Warm slices in the oven and drizzle with additional sauce.
Patrick and I created this “speed scratch” version of the galette. Using frozen pastry sheets, frozen apples, and the cinnamon streusel blend from coffee cake mix (because there is always extra!) you can create a fresh baked bar that tastes like apple pie. This too is a great recipe for staging.
Two days before serving: Make the cream cheese filling, the streusel topping, and chill overnight. Thaw the pastry sheets and apples overnight in the cooler. We love the Simplot RoastWorks Flame-Roasted Fuji Apples for this recipe. Plain frozen sliced apples work well too but need a little sugar and cinnamon.
One day before serving:
Assemble the bars by layering pastry sheets, cream cheese filling, apples, caramel, and streusel topping.
Bake until golden and set in the center. Toward the end of baking, press streusel down into the apple filling to level the top (pictured above). Chill overnight.
Day of service:
Cut the bars and allow to come to room temperature before serving.
Drizzle with warm caramel and serve with a small scoop of ice cream. Your community will love the comfort of warm apples with spice, and the taste of homemade!
Apple Pie Squares
Cream cheese filling:
12 oz Cream cheese, soft
1/2 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
Bars:
2 Half sheet pan pastry sheets
Cream cheese filling
3 1/2 lbs. Flame-roasted Fuji apples (Simplot RoastWorks) or frozen sliced apples
6 oz Caramel sauce
Streusel topping
Streusel topping:
2 1/2 cups Cinnamon streusel blend from coffee cake mix
2 1/2 cups Oats
4 oz Butter, melted
Day before baking
Make cream cheese filling:
In a mixer using the paddle attachment beat cream cheese until smooth.
Slowly pour in sugar and continue to beat until smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl several times.
On low speed slowly add eggs and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
Chill until ready to use.
Mix the streusel ingredients together until moist and starts to clump together. Chill until ready to use.
Thaw pastry sheets and apples.
Day of baking
Roll out 2 sheets (you will have extra) and fit into sprayed half sheet pan. Push pastry up sides of pan.
Spread cream cheese filling on pastry.
Layer Fuji apples (use 1 ½ bags). If using plain frozen apples, stir in 1/2 cup sugar, and teaspoon of cinnamon before layering.
Drizzle apple layer with caramel sauce and top with streusel.
Bake at 375° conventional oven or 350° convection oven with low fan.
Check after 30 minutes and rotate. Bake another 20-30 minutes until golden brown and filling is set.
Toward the end of baking, press streusel down into the apple filling to level the top.
Allow to chill before cutting.
Serve with additional caramel and vanilla ice cream.