This weekend, I was craving a “fall” treat and apple pie sounded like a great option but I didn’t think I’d have the time to do a pie. So, I decided to make a simple galette instead. Genius! I started with this recipe from Food & Wine and tweaked the ingredients a bit to have extra ~spice~ for fall. The end result is basically everything I love about apple pie without all the fuss.

What’s a galette?? If you’re intimidated about baking apple pie or short on time, a galette is a great way to dip your toe in the water because galettes are rustic, freeform tarts. They aren’t fancy. They don’t require special equipment or weaving of dough. They can be sweet, savory, ugly, pretty. If you haven’t tried one before, I highly recommend them both as a baking project and as a snacking project.

This super simple Spiced Apple Galette recipe is the perfect treat for fall! To make this rustic tart, mix up a simple dough, prepare your filling, shape your tart, bake, and enjoy!

– H

Spiced Apple Galette

Yield: one ~12-inch tart; 8 slices
Prep time: less than 1 hr
Total time: about 2 hours

Prep the dough:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cane sugar
pinch of salt
1 stick + 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces

Combine ingredients together in food processor or roughly stir with a fork until it’s crumbly. Add in ice-cold water 1 tsp at a time until a dough ball forms. Wrap dough ball in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for like 30 mins while you prep the filling.

Make the tart:

4 Granny Smith apples
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into small pieces

Peel and thinly slice apples and place into a large bowl. Add sugar and spices and toss to coat. Set aside.
On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll out pastry dough to a circle about 14 inches in diameter.
Spread coated apples in the center of the dough circle, leaving about 1-2 inches of crust around the edges. If you wanna be fancy, arrange apples in the center to look like a star or flower or something else! Drizzle the top with honey and bits of sliced butter.
Gently fold over the edges, pressing down to seal. Brush crust with a simple egg wash (one egg white mixed w 1 tablespoon water) and sprinkle with sugar and sliced almonds.
Bake at 400°F for 35-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown and apples are tender. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
Enjoy!