I don’t know about you, but if there is one thing in the world that I can’t possibly resist, it would have to be apples and cinnamon. You see, me and apples with cinnamon -we go way back. There is a history there that can never be forgotten, and apart from the fact that cinnamon and apples are a match made in taste bud heaven, I think that it is these lingering memories that make any thing with apple spice so irresistible to me.
Growing up, my mum worked hard to keep our diets as healthy and balanced as she could, while still allowing us to enjoy the wonders of delicious homemade foods. So while we were allowed to indulge in a scoop of ice cream or a slice of chocolate cake for dessert from time to time, for the most part those kinds of desserts were reserved for special occasions, and were not part of our regular meal plan. However, after we had finished our suppers – including all of the broccoli and carrots on our plates – we were always rewarded with a little something sweet at the end of the day.
My mum’s go-to desserts were usually freshly cut fruits, which she would jazz up with a little something extra – like bananas with a bit of milk and brown sugar; or fresh strawberries with whipped cream; or apples with cinnamon and a bit of brown sugar. Looking back on it now, this dessert seems so simple and yet, this was one of my favourites as a child. I mean how can you go wrong with apples and cinnamon? The answer to that question is simple – you can’t – like I said before, they are a match made in heaven.
Luckily, I found a man who couldn’t agree with me more when it comes to the deliciousness of apples and cinnamon – I don’t know if we could be together if we didn’t 😉 – So we often share a bowl of apples and cinnamon for a sweet & simple weeknight dessert. Now delicious as those apples and cinnamon are, sometimes you just need to take your dessert to the next level of awesomeness am I right? And when you combine apples and cinnamon with a little brown sugar, some toasted pecans for good measure and you bake it all up in a flaky, buttery pie crust…. well, let’s just say that you have managed to take the deliciousness of apples and cinnamon to a whole new level.
These Apple Galette Crumbles are the perfect way to up the anti on your next apple dessert baking adventure – not only because they are just plain delicious, but also because they mini and therefore each of your guests can have their own personal galette. No need to fight over who gets the bigger slice… this is the perfect excuse to be greedy with your dessert and have absolutely no obligation to share – how amazing is that? Speaking as a girl who does not like to share her desserts, I think that this is pretty much the most fantastic thing ever ;p
Alright, so looking at this recipe I am realizing that at first glance it is looking a little bit complicated but I promise you it isn’t. Every component of this recipe is very simple to whip up and comes together super quick. Honestly, the hardest step in this recipe is waiting for your galette dough to thoroughly chill in the fridge because when all you want to do in life is eat a delicious apple galette, having the patience to let your dough chill properly for a whole hour might as well be hiking Mt. Everest… it is just plain painful, and quite frankly mean to have to wait that long for pie dough to chill.
Even though there are a few different components to prepare for this recipe, they can all be whipped up in under 10 minutes and trust me – the effort in this recipe is worth the reward that these little beauties will bring to your life. First of all, your house will smell positively delectable as the apples and the spices begin to cook; Secondly, when you pull them out of the oven to find the crust has puffed up into a golden brown state of amazingness you will be smitten with how adorable these little galettes look; And finally, when you break into that flaky crust and scoop a spoonful of tender apples into your mouth for your first taste… that’s when you will know for sure it was all worth it.
Nom! I am officially drooling just thinking about them, so I must excuse myself to get another… :p here is the recipe for you and your family to enjoy!
Mini Apple Galette Crumbles
Makes – 6 Galettes
Things you need…
Galette Crusts
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1 cup cold butter, cubed
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup ice water
Apple Filling
1 cup Apple Cider
1 cup Brown Sugar
4 tsp Lemon Juice
4 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
4 cups sliced apples
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
Cream Cheese Spread (Optional)
4oz (1/2 package) cream cheese
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Crumble
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Assembly
Egg wash (1 egg + 1 tbsp cream + 1 tsp sugar)
1 tbsp butter cut into 6 equal cubes, for dotting
Coarse sugar for dusting
How to make…
Galette Crusts
In a glass measuring cup, mix together the cold water and lemon juice and add a couple of ice cubes; place in the freezer until ready to use.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, sift together flour, almond meal, granulated sugar and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter to your dry ingredients and toss gently to coat the butter in the flour. Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to work the butter into the dry ingredients until most of the butter chunks are the size of peas, with some larger almond sized chunks remaining.
Remove the ice cubes from your water & lemon juice mixture, and drizzle over the dry ingredients. Use a fork or your hands to gently toss the wet ingredients into the dry until the dough starts to come together. Turn the dough out onto a light floured surface and divide into 2 parts. Use your hands to shape the two balls of dough into logs. Wrap in plastic wrap and allow to chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Tip: You can make this ahead the night before and leave it in the fridge over night.
Apple Filling
While your dough is chilling, make your apple filling. In a small saucepan whisk together apple cider, lemon juice, cornstarch and brown sugar. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently until thickened and the mixture is translucent. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Stir in chopped apples until everything is evenly coated and set aside to cool slightly to room temperature.
Cream Cheese Filling
While your filling is cooling, prepare your cream cheese filling.
In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy; Set aside.
Crumble
In a medium mixing bowl, mix together flour, rolled oats, brown sugar and cinnamon until evenly combined. Using a pastry cutter, work the butter into the dry ingredients until evenly incorporated and crumbly. Stir in the pecans and set aside.
Assembly
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Once your galette dough has had time to thoroughly chill, lightly flour a cool surface and cut each of the logs into 3 equal parts so that you have 6 cuts of dough altogether. Dust each cut with flour and gently roll them out to 1/4 inch thick disks; placing each disk on the prepared baking sheet evenly spacing them apart. Use a pastry brush to brush the outer edges of each galette with the prepared egg wash.
Drop about 1 tbsp of cream cheese filling into the center of each galette and spread evenly leaving a 1.5 inch border around the crust. Spoon about 1/3-1/2 cup of apple filling into the center of each galette, leaving about a 1-1.5 inch border around the crust.
Next begin to fold the outer edges of your galette crust up onto the apple filling, going one section at a time, folding over the preceding section and pinching the edges together slightly as you work your way around. You should have about 5-6 creases once you have folded up all the edges. Place 1 cube of butter on top of each of the galettes and brush the sides of the galette crust with egg wash.
Sprinkle about 1-2 tbsp of the crumble on top of each galette and sprinkle with coarse sugar to finish.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until the crusts are golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Serve warm with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or caramel sauce.
Alright, so I know I told you to serve them warm with a scoop of ice cream or some whipped cream, but truth be told – these galettes are just as delicious when you eat them completely cooled for breakfast in the morning…. Am I speaking from personal experience as I casually palm one of these leftover Apple Galettes from last nights dessert into my mouth with my free hand while typing with the other… perhaps 😀
Happy baking… and eating!
KP <3
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