Apple Galette with Vanilla Whipped Cream

An apple galette recipe that’s sweet, but not too sweet and spiced with cinnamon. Topped with a homemade whipped cream full of real vanilla.

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There are probably millions of apple desserts in the world and that makes total sense. Apples are delicious and they’re really delicious when baked into some type of crust and sprinkled with cinnamon. Of course, you can bake apple desserts any time of the year, but they’re extra tasty when baked during the fall and winter months. There’s just something so cozy about the smell of apples, cinnamon, and crust baking in the oven. I wanted to try something different this year, so I went the galette route. Galette is a French term that refers to round, flat, and flaky pastries. It’s basically an open faced pie that sort of wraps around itself. Galettes can be sweet or savory – the filling options are endless. A galette is slightly easier to prepare than a pie. It is truly a rustic dessert – these things don’t need to look perfect. The taste is equal to that of pie. In fact, I overheard a relative say last week at Thanksgiving that he thought this was better than pie.

Just like pie, the first step is to make the crust. Check out How To Make Homemade Pie Crust for pie crust recipe tutorial. This recipe makes two crusts which will allow you to make two galettes. The next step after preparing the pie crust is to chop the apples. I like to use a combination of sweet and tart apples when making desserts with them. They sort of balance each other out. I used 2 Granny Smith and 2-3 Braeburn (depending on size) for this recipe. Simply peel the skin off the apples and cut them into small slices. Cutting them into uniform sizes will ensure even baking. Place the sliced apples into a large mixing bowl.

To the apples, add 2 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 1 1/2 Tbsp. flour, 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and 1 cup packed dark brown sugar (can use light brown sugar). Mix all these ingredients until thoroughly combined. Set the bowl aside and let the flavors meld together.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and get ready to roll out some pie dough. Simply roll each portion of chilled pie dough into a round-ish shape. Place the rolled out dough on a baking sheet and place half of the apple mixture into the middle of it. Make sure to leave a good amount of room around the edges. I like to add all the liquid from the apple mixture to the galette. It might leak as it bakes, but that’s where all the flavor is. You can use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat if you like, but I prefer to bake straight on the pan (even though it results in a messier cleanup).

The next step is to fold the edges of the dough around the apples. Start with one side and work your way around. You may need to trim a little off the very edges so the galette isn’t completely encased in pie dough. The center should be open. You can always sprinkle those pie dough scraps with a little cinnamon and sugar and bake them for a little extra treat. Repeat the process with the second galette and place on a baking sheet (either the same one or two different ones). Beat 1 egg and 1 tsp. of water to make an egg wash. Brush the outsides of the galette with this egg wash to make the crust nice and golden. Pop the pan in the oven for 45 minutes to bake.

After 45 minutes or so, the galettes should be ready. You can test them by poking the apples with a knife. They should be soft and easily pierced. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or so if you feel like they are too tough. Remove from the oven and set aside.

To send this thing over the top, we’re going to make some whipped cream. To really send it over the top, we’re going to make it vanilla whipped cream. This means using real vanilla beans. Vanilla beans are so cool – you just cut them open and scrape out the tiny little seeds or pods in the middle. They are basically little vanilla flavor bombs. You can use a knife or your finger to remove all that caviar.

Place 1 pint of heavy whipping cream, 1/3 cup sugar, the caviar from 2 vanilla beans, and 1 tsp. of vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Whip the ingredients together using a stand mixer or a hand mixer. Beat the mixture until soft peaks begin to form. This may take 7-12 minutes. You can see the little flecks of vanilla in the whipped cream.

Dessert is ready – cinnamon, apples, vanilla, whipped cream. Does it get any better? Yes. By adding a cup of coffee. Because coffee just kinda makes everything better.

Pottery by Bill Gossman.

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Apple Galette with Vanilla Whipped Cream

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

1 hrs 10 mins

 

An apple galette recipe that's sweet, but not too sweet and spiced with cinnamon. Topped with a homemade whipped cream full of real vanilla.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 10

Calories: 210 kcal

Author: Christine Rooney

Ingredients

For the galette

• 2 Granny Smith apples
• 2-3 sweet apples - I used Braeburn
• 2 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 Tbsp flour
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp water

For the whipped cream

• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 2 vanilla beans
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup white sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the galette

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Prepare pie crusts and chill in fridge.
3. Peel the skins off apples and cut into small slices. Try to cut the slices into uniform sizes.
4. Place apples in a large bowl and add lemon juice, flour, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Stir until completely combined and set aside.
5. Roll out each portion of dough.
6. Place each portion on a baking sheet and add half of the apple mixture to each.
7. Fold the edges of pie crust around the apples. Trim edges of crust if necessary.
8. Beat egg with water and brush the edges with egg wash.
9. Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes or until apples are soft.

For the whipped cream

1. Cut vanilla beans in half and scrape out the caviar with knife.
2. Place heavy whipping cream, sugar, vanilla bean caviar, and vanilla extract in mixing bowl and beat with stand mixer or hand mixer until soft peaks form. This may take 7-12 minutes.

Recipe Notes

You can add more sugar to the whipped cream if you like it sweeter.

Nutrition Facts

Apple Galette with Vanilla Whipped Cream

Amount Per Serving

Calories 210

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.