Fall is here in full force, and it is as beautiful as ever. I played hooky from work one day last week to go up the shore with a friend in search of fall colors and beautiful views. We hiked a section of the Superior Hiking Trail near Silver Bay, MN, stopping halfway through to enjoy a picnic lunch of cheese, wine, and Oreos (don’t hate – they’re the best and you know it). The view overlooking Bean and Bear Lakes was unbelievable — 100% worth the effort to get there.
Pie Season
I haven’t made a single pie yet this fall. I’ve been working on a big and chocolatey project for the blog (coming in January — stay tuned!). That has kept me busy and full of sweet treats, so I haven’t had a chance to make any of my favorite fall desserts yet, much less create any new ones. I came up with this Caramel Apple Galette last spring, but never got around to posting it until now — luckily, it’s apple pie season, so that worked out perfectly!
This galette combines a flaky AF pie crust (thanks to Erin McDowell’s All Buttah Pie Crust — it’s magic!) with a thick dulce de leche and lightly spiced apples. You can feel free to use jarred dulce de leche (or any thick caramel sauce will work). But if you’re feeling adventurous, I highly recommend making your own! All you need is a can of sweetened condensed milk, a big pot of boiling water, and a couple of hours. Check out the instructions here.
For the apples, I used Granny Smith. Outside of apple season, I almost always use them for baking because they’re tart and hold their shape well when they’re baked. During apple season though, I usually opt for Cortlands or Macintosh…you really can’t beat their flavor, especially in a pie. Use whatever kind of apple you want though, as long as they’re crisp and not too sweet — you need that tartness to complement the caramel.
For your spice, you can go traditional and opt for cinnamon or nutmeg, but I prefer cardamom for this recipe — it’s a little more exciting and I love the way it tastes with the caramel.
This is a simple, yet delicious pie — and it turns out quite pretty, if I do say so myself….
Always Room for Pie
Okay guys, get to baking! I hope you enjoy this Caramel Apple Galette as much as I do. If you’re in the mood for more pies, check out a few of my other favorites:
And if you make any of my recipes, I’d love to hear how it goes. Leave a comment below or tag me in your photos on Facebook or Instagram!
Happy Baking!
Caramel Apple Galette
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 c flour
- 1 T sugar
- pinch salt
- 1/2 c cold butter (1 stick), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/4-1/2 c ice cold water
- 2 medium apples, sliced thin (about 1/4 in thick)
- 2 T sugar
- pinch cardamom, nutmeg, or cinnamon
- 1/4 c dulce de leche or other thick caramel sauce
- 1 T milk optional
- sparkling sugar optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, 1T sugar, and salt.
- Add butter cubes and toss to coat in flour. Then, pinch butter cubes into flour, leaving them in fairly large pieces. You want your pieces of butter to be roughly about the size of grapes, but flat. (Big chunks of butter = flakier crust)
- Drizzle cold water into mixture a little at a time, gently stirring with a fork or your hands until it all combines into a rough ball of dough. Add a T or two more water if your dough is still dry. You don’t want it too wet, but you don’t want bits of dry flour either.
- Gently press dough into a ball, then flatten with your hands. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the 2 T of sugar and pinch of your desired spice. Add the apple slices and stir to coat.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- After dough has chilled for 1 hour, roll fairly thin on a lightly floured surface. Then fold in half, then in half again. Gently form dough into a ball again, then roll out a second time (this folding = more flakiness!). This time, you want your dough round to be about 12" in diameter.
- Place dough round on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
- Spread dulce de leche in a thin layer, beginning at the center of the dough circle and working your way out toward the edge, leaving about 2" of dough uncovered around the edge.
- *Optional: sprinkle a pinch or two of flaky sea salt on top of the dulce de leche.
- Arrange apple slices on top of the dulce de leche in whatever pattern you like, overlapping them slightly.
- Fold the edges of the dough up over the top of the apples, leaving a gap in the center where the filling shows through. The edges of the dough will overlap.
- If desired, brush the edges of the pie crust with the 1T of milk, and sprinkle with coarse sparkling sugar.
- Bake for 45 min – 1 hour, until center is bubbling and edges are nicely browned.
- Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool.
- Slice and serve on its own or with your favorite ice cream!
Notes
- Want to make your own dulce de leche? See instructions here.
- If you’re making this on a warm day, and your butter is getting melty while you’re mixing the dough, pop it in the fridge to chill for a bit before you continue. Cold butter = flaky crust. Melty butter = tough, chewy crust.
- Want a great video tutorial for making pie dough? Check out Erin McDowell’s original recipe and video instructions here.