It baffles me a little bit that some people don't like pie crust. If you ask me, half the point of eating pie, or quiche, or anything with a flaky butter crust is to eat said crust. Evidently there will be some of you out there who disagree with me wholeheartedly, but before you write me off completely, I dare you to try a homemade galette (if you haven't experienced one already) and NOT fall in love with that melt-in-your-mouth, all-butter crust. It's the kind of stuff that French dreams are made of, and by that I mean flaky, buttery pastry heaven -- and then some.
So I'd be lying if I said that I didn't make this galette for the sake of the crust, but I definitely also made it for the sake of the sweet almond filling with a little bit of crunch that sits below all those gorgeous apple slices. If you're a regular around here you've probably caught onto the fact that I'm obsessed with almond paste, so the fact that it plays a lead role adding sweetness and complexity to the flavors here makes me SO happy. Truthfully, I'd gladly just eat the crust + almond filling combo without any other embellishments, but that would mean skipping out on layer after layer of thinly sliced apples that garnish the top, and we totally can't have that. They bake up tender and slightly sweet, and pull all the flavors in the galette together to make a perfectly light dessert that feels just as appropriate for a warm spring day as a cozy fall night.
There's one last thing that you absolutely can't ignore here: the honey whipped cream. Even though I wrote to serve it "if desired" in the recipe, let's face facts here: freshly whipped cream has a time and place for being a total necessity, and this is one of them. It's thick but light, creamy, and laced with honey to complement the almond and apple flavors to a T.
Dreamy? Oh yesssss indeed.
Apple and Almond Galette with Honey Whipped Cream
A rustic, free-form apple tart with a flaky crust and a sweet almond filling, perfect served alongside a fresh dollop of honey whipped cream.
- Cook Time: 33 minutes
- Total Time: 33 minutes
- Yield: one 12" galette 1x
Ingredients
Crust
- 4 ¾ ounces (1 ⅛ cups, spoon and level) all-purpose flour
- 3 ⅛ ounces (¾ cup, spoon and level) whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces (¾ cup) unsalted butter, frozen
- 4 ½-5 ounces (9-10 tablespoons) ice water
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Filling & Assembling
- 4 ounces almond paste
- ⅞ ounce (¼ cup) sliced almonds
- 1 ½ tablespoons corn starch
- flour, for dusting
- 3-4 medium apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced*
- 3 tablespoons raw (demerara) sugar
Glaze and Garnish
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- raw (demerara) sugar, for sprinkling
Honey Whipped Cream
- 8 ¼ ounces (1 cup) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
Crust
- In a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, pastry flour, sugar, and salt. Using the large-hole side on a box grater, grate the butter into the mixture and toss until coated in flour and well-dispersed. Add 4 ½ ounces (9 tablespoons) ice water and almond extract and fold in just enough to bring everything together into a single ball of dough, using hands as needed and adding the remaining ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) ice water if necessary. Dough should be soft but not too sticky; be careful not to overwork. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour before assembling galette.
Filling & Assembling:
- Using the same method as described for the butter, grate almond paste into a small bowl. Add almonds and corn starch and toss to combine.
- Lightly flour a sheet of parchment sized to fit a standard baking sheet. Flour surface of dough lightly and roll out on parchment to a 14" square, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Scatter almond mixture on top leaving a 1 ½" clear border around the perimeter. Arrange apple slices in rows over almond mixture and sprinkle with raw sugar. Fold dough around edges of galette, slightly overlapping outer layer of fruit and pleating dough at corners.
- Transfer galette with parchment to baking sheet and freeze for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400ºF.
Glaze and Garnish
- Just before baking, brush galette crust with melted butter and sprinkle with raw sugar.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until crust is golden. Let cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes, and then careful transfer to a wire rack until ready to serve. Galette is best served freshly baked, either warm or at room temperature, but any leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap or kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Serve with honey whipped cream if desired.
Honey Whipped Cream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the wire whip attachment (or using a bowl and handheld electric mixer), beat the cream on medium-high speed until thickened. Add honey and continue to beat just until cream holds its shape, making sure honey gets smoothly incorporated.
Notes
*I used Pink Lady apples, but any fairly sweet, crisp apple should work well here.
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Bailey Duddleston says
Great galette! It turned out perfectly and the crust was so flaky and yummy!
Marsha A says
Ok, I want this now!! All the things I love. And, this section of your blog has my name all over it. <3
Katy | Her Cup of Joy says
The galette looks so wonderful, the presentation is beautiful! Most galettes are round and look tricky to cut, but this one looks perfect to cut and serve for a small party.
alexandra says
Thanks so much! I usually just cut the round ones pizza-style, but the square shape was fun for a change. :)
Rachel (LittleChefBigAppetite) says
This looks so insanely delicious! I LOVE all of these flavors!
alexandra says
Thanks so much Rachel! :)
Ilona @ Ilona's Passion says
Delicious.. I have to make it, apples with almond sounds so good