An apple pie that is not an apple pie! This quick and easy Apple Galette with puff pastry is equally delicious. The difference is, you are making it on a thinner crust, the puff pastry, and covering only the sliced apples on the side. AND it can be served as it is or with toppings of your choice. Yummy!
I immediately fell in love the first time I made this tasty apple galette. Just the aroma of apples and cinnamon together is already mouth-watering. It’s like you are experiencing the best apple pie with all those cozy flavors that you want to devour as soon as it’s ready.
But what I also like is how quickly you can make this easy and delicious apple galette. If you hesitate because you think that making the dough or the pastry takes too much time, I’ve got the answer for you. This amazing treat is created with ready-made puff pastry that is usually available in most grocery stores.
What is a Galette?
Galette (pronounced as Guh-let) is a French term referring to different types of flat crusty cakes (round or freeform) made with a single crust pastry or bread dough. The sides are normally folded up and over to contain the juices. The galette is baked on a cookie sheet, not in a pie plate.
In French cuisine, there are several types of galette. A few of them are the creole galette, Breton galette, fruit galette, and the most notable one, the Galette des Rois which is traditionally served during the celebration of Epiphany (the day that the three kings visited the baby Jesus).
What type of galette is the apple galette?
An apple galette is a fruit galette, of course! It features a type of single crust, free-form pie with a fruit filling. The crust is folded partway over the top of the filling that can be either sweet or savory. Puff pastry or yeast-risen dough can be used as the base. Most fruit galettes are made from seasonal fruits like strawberries, peaches, cherries, or apples. Any galette can consist of one or more of these (or a variety of other) fruits.
This quick and easy apple galette is popular because apples are almost always available year round.
Here’s How to Form the Easy Apple Galette
The galette is meant to have a rustic look. If you unevenly fold up the pastry on the sides, or if the apple slices are not perfectly arranged, that is okay. It can even look like you made it when you were in a hurry… the easy apple galette will still look like it was made that way on purpose. Some people actually call it the lazy girl’s apple pie. LOL!
One thing is to try not to overstuff the galette. The crust might not bake properly if it is overfilled. And, the fillings might run out while baking.
What Kind of Fruit and Puff Pastry Should You Use?
Although you can use any apples, if you want to make sure they will not be squishy or grainy, use cooking apples like granny smith, Jonagold, Honeycrisp, or pink lady. My personal favorite is the pink lady. The pink lady apples are sweet, but with a definite tartness.
For the puff pastry, any one will do. Make sure to check the expiration date, as older pastry my not puff up well. Follow the package directions when thawing. It is also good to keep the dough cold prior to baking, so the butter won’t melt as quickly on the dough. If the butter melts before the pastry puffs, the pastry may not be flaky when baked. That is also why I place the cold butter on the top.
What are the Ingredients to Make Apple Galette?
- 1 Puff Pastry sheet, thawed according to the package directions
- 3 Apples (I used Granny Smith, but my favorites are pink lady)
- 1 tsp Cinnamon powder
- ⅓ cup Sugar. Reserve about 1 tsp of sugar for sprinkling
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 2 Tbsp cold Butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp water
Here’s How to Make Your Apple Galette
The butter needs to be COLD! Remove the butter from the fridge, and cut it into small squares, then return it to the fridge to keep it as cold as possible.
Unfold the thawed puff pastry (if it’s not the rolled-out kind of pastry). If the pastry cracks, press the cracks together with dampened fingers. Place the pastry on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Using a cookie sheet that has a small lip on four sides works best, in case some juices escape your apple galette.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Cut the apples in half, core, and peel. Slice the apples into thin half-moons, then place into a bowl. It is important to slice them thin, or the pastry sheet will be cooked before the apples bake to tenderness. Combine cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla, then pour the mixture over the sliced apples. Toss the apples to coat.
In the center of the puff pastry, arrange the sliced apples to create a circular formation. Leave about two inches of pastry all around the sides of the fruit. The sliced apples should be overlapping each other, with each slice covering about ½ to ⅔ of the previous slice. During baking, the apples will shrink a little bit.
Arrange the cold cubes of butter on top, spaced equidistance apart. It’s better to put the butter on top, instead of putting it inside with the filling. This will help the crust to hold its shape, and keep the dough flakey. Not to mention that the butter adds an exquisite flavor when it melts in the oven.
Next, fold the sides of the pastry up and toward the middle of the creation. Cover only a small amount of the sliced apples that are on the sides, leaving most of the middle part exposed. You can create a round or square shape.
Make the egg wash by breaking the egg into a medium-sized bowl, adding the tablespoon of water, and whisking together until the egg is pale yellow and frothy. Using a pastry brush, coat the exposed pastry with egg wash, then sprinkle with sugar.
Place the baking sheet on the top rack of your oven, and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the galette a ½ turn, then lower the heat to 350°F. Continue baking for 10 more minutes or until the pastry is lightly brown.
Cool slightly before serving. Serve on its own or with toppings.
Toppings that I Recommend:
- A scoop of vanilla ice cream
- A mixture of calvados brandy and apricot, brushed on the apple galette while it is still hot
- Caramel sauce drizzled over the still warm (not hot) apple galette
- Goat cheese, crumbled on top
- Pecan Crumbs, just like the topping on these Pecan Crumb Muffins
The possibilities are practically endless. Go ahead and try the one you’re thinking of.
Can You Save and Re-heat the Apple Galette?
Yes, you can bake-ahead or save any left-overs (although I doubt there will be any). Just place the apple galette in a covered container and freeze it for up to a month. After the apple galette is frozen, it can be removed from the covered container and wrapped with cling wrap to prevent any collection of frost on your delectable creation.
When you’re ready to re-heat the frozen easy apple galette, just thaw it on the kitchen counter for a few minutes. You don’t even have to wait until it comes to room temperature. Then, you can warm in the microwave or in an oven that’s preheated to 350°F. If you’re using the microwave, heat for about 30 to 60 seconds. If you’re using a standard oven, cover with foil and heat for 10 to 20 minutes.
Easy Apple Galette with Puff Pastry
Fall in love with this very easy apple galette. It's as delicious as apple pie but the difference is how quick it can be made especially with puff pastry.
Ingredients
- 1 Puff Pastry sheet, thawed according to directions
- 3 Apples (I used Granny Smith)
- 1 tsp Cinnamon powder
- ⅓ cup Sugar. Separate about 1 tsp of sugar for sprinkling
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 2 Tbsp butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp water
Instructions
- The butter needs to be COLD! Remove the butter from the fridge, and cut it into small squares, then return it to the fridge to keep it as cold as possible.
- Unfold the thawed puff pastry (if it’s not the rolled-out kind of pastry). If the pastry cracks, press the cracks together with dampened fingers. Place the pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using a baking sheet that has a small lip on four sides works best, in case some juices escape your apple galette.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cut the apples in half, core, and peel. Slice the apples into thin half-moons, then place into a bowl. It is important to slice them thin, or the pastry sheet will be done before the apples bake to tenderness. Combine cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla, then pour the mixture over the sliced apples. Toss the apples to coat.
- In the center of the puff pastry, arrange the sliced apples to create a circular formation. Leave about two inches of pastry all around the sides of the fruit. The sliced apples should be overlapping each other, with each slice covering about ½ to ⅔ of the previous slice. During baking, the apples will shrink a little bit.
- Arrange the cold cubes of butter on top, spaced equidistance apart. It’s better to put the butter on top, instead of putting it inside with the filling. This will help the crust to hold its shape, and keep the dough flakey. Not to mention that the butter adds an exquisite flavor when it melts in the oven.
- Next, fold the sides of the pastry up and toward the middle of the creation. Cover only a small amount of the sliced apples that are on the sides, leaving most of the middle part exposed. You can create a round or square shape.
- Make your egg wash by breaking the egg into a medium-sized bowl, adding the tablespoon of water, and whisking together until the egg is pale yellow and frothy. Using a pastry brush, coat the exposed pastry with egg wash, then sprinkle with sugar.
- Place the cookie sheet on the top rack of your oven, and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the galette a ½ turn, then lower the heat to 350°F. Continue baking for 10 more minutes or until the pastry is lightly brown.
- Cool slightly before serving. Serve on its own or with toppings.
Notes
Toppings:
- Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream,
- While still hot, brush with calvados and apricot mixture
- Drizzle caramel sauce
- Crumbled goat cheese
- Top with Pecan Crumbs, just like the one on this Pecan Crumb Muffins
There are a lot more possibilities. Try the one you’re thinking of.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 126Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 42mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 2gSugar: 16gProtein: 1g
Enjoy!
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