Spiced Caramel Apple Galettes

Recipe by Hallie Sharpless

INGREDIENTS:

Galette Pastry Dough: 

• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
•  Pinch salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/2” cubes
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp of Zero Waste Spice Dust, Masala Chai (optional)

Instructions:

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, spices if using, and salt. Add the cubes of butter and pulse until the mixture resembles sand with some pea-sized pieces.  
2. Add the egg yolk to the flour mixture. Process until butter and flour are blended, about 10 seconds. 
3. Turn the mixture into a bowl and add cold water, a tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition. After adding 3 or 4 tablespoons you should be able to gather the mixture into a ball.
4. Lightly knead the dough and pack it  into a disc. Wrap the disc in a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using or up to 3 days. 

Spiced Caramel Sauce:

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp Dona Masala Chai Concentrate
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Ground Green Cardamom Powder 

Instructions:

1. Place all the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Stir briefly to combine.
2. Place the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. 
3. Once the sugar dissolves, stop stirring and swirl the pan by the handle instead of stirring to prevent crystals from forming.
4. Continue to cook over medium heat without stirring until the mixture reaches 230°F when measured with a digital or candy thermometer. Carefully watch the mixture while the caramel is simmering. 
5. Remove the pan from the heat. Let the sauce cool for a few minutes in the pan. Once cool, stir with a spatula and pour into a sealed glass jar. 

**(Refrigerate extra caramel for up to 3 weeks.)

Assembly: 

• 4-5 pink flesh apples
• Spiced caramel sauce
• Galette pastry dough
• Turbinando or sanding sugar to top (optional) 
• Olive oil to brush

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a rack in the center of the oven. 
2. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut the disc into 6 wedges. Roll each wedge into a ball. You’ll want to keep them cool while you're rolling each individual galette, so keep 5 wrapped and in the fridge while you begin working on the first disc. 
3. On a lightly floured piece of parchment, roll the dough out into a 6” circle. Repeat with the other 5 pieces, and once they are all rolled, return them to the fridge for 10 minutes to chill.
4. While the dough chills, thinly slice your apples using a mandoline or a very sharp knife. 
5. Remove the rolled pastry from the fridge and using a pastry brush or a knife, spread about 2 tbsp of caramel on each round, leaving a 1.5” border of dough around the perimeter. 
6. Top the dough with the prepared apple slices, in an overlapping circular pattern, or any way you wish! Be sure to leave the 1.5” border of dough uncovered. 
7. Lift and press the edges up over the fruit, folding as necessary. Using the parchment paper, transfer the galette to a rimmed baking sheet. Chill for 10 minutes.
8. Brush or spray the tops of the apples and crust with a very light amount of olive oil, and sprinkle a generous dusting of sugar over top. This is optional, but adds a lovely sparkle. 
9. Bake until the fruit is tender and the crust is deep golden brown, and the sugar has caramelized but not burnt. For me, this took around 25-30 minutes. I also rotated the pan halfway through as the back of my oven is hotter than the front. (this may be common sense but it seems like all ovens have their own set of idiosyncrasies).