For a long time, I said that Honeycrisp apples were my very favorite. And then I had an Autumn Glory apple. Then I had another. And another. And another. And then I couldn’t stop eating them. You might be saying, “Autumn Glory? Never heard of them.” That’s because they are a new-ish variety of apple – a cross between Fuji and Golden Delicious apples, two other favorite varieties of mine. Have you ever had an apple so sweet you can’t even believe it’s real? With hints of caramel and cinnamon? That’s what Autumn Glory apples taste like. Crisp and sweet. Just like you want an apple to taste like. Today I’ve partnered with Superfresh Growers to bring you a simple, delicious Rustic Autumn Glory Apple Galette just in time for your Thanksgiving menu.
So I ate a lot of these apples raw before deciding which recipe I wanted to make. A salad? Applesauce? A dessert? I settled on making an apple galette for one reason only – I wanted something that would highlight the flavor of the apples, not hide them. But also: pastry. :) You know what I mean? So this is one of the simplest apple desserts you can make. You don’t need many pie making skills – beginner pie bakers wanted! The more rustic (read: imperfect) it is, the better.
I discovered something else about Autumn Glory apples after I ate my first test slice of apple galette – they are amazing raw, but with baking (or cooking) they really shine. I guess you could say I’m in love with this new apple variety, and I am! I am! Apples get us through the cold months when other fresh produce is at a minimum. These apples look like fall with their golden undertones and rosy blush. You know I’m partial to fall over all other seasons. I can’t help it. And these apples are IT. They are my new go-to apple.
If you want to find Autumn Glory apples, you can find them at most grocery stores in their special 3 lb. bag. They can be found in Walmart and Sam’s Club, too. If you don’t see them in your produce section, I implore you to request them from your produce manager. You will not be sorry!
Kelly and I got together for another little getaway – this time to the mountains and her in-laws’ lovely little cabin high in the Colorado Rockies. What a lovely setting it was! While we were there, we cooked a delicious vegan, gluten-free meal to share with friends. (More on that later this week!)
Kelly made an incredibly refreshing Apple Pie Sangria with freshly juiced and julienned Autumn Glory apples. Be sure to pop over for the recipe – it’s a keeper. I’m making it for our Thanksgiving this year. (Oh! I can’t wait for you to see all of the other recipes, but first, more about this dessert!)
For my apple galette, I wanted to keep things as simple as possible, as I said, so I didn’t do much of anything to the apples other than thinly slicing them. The beautiful peel was just too lovely to do away with, so I kept it on to add some color. And can we talk about the beautiful star in the center?! Way too lovely to core, but don’t worry, the little seed bits are easy to poke out with the tip of a knife. The apples are so sweet on their own, so I only used a little brown sugar and a pinch of my homemade chai spice mix to bring out that caramel flavor of the apples. (I’m not a fan of overly sweet fruit desserts anyway -I want to taste the fruit!) Now, I’ve used a gluten-free pie crust, but you can certainly use a store-bought pre-rolled crust or use your favorite pie dough recipe. This recipe is also vegan. If you’re not vegan or avoiding dairy, it’s perfectly acceptable to substitute butter for the shortening and vegan butter in the pie crust. This recipe yields two galettes, which is a good thing because I guarantee you won’t stop at one slice!
Rustic Autumn Glory Apple Galette
A simple-as-can-be apple galette made with Autumn Glory apples, a new apple cultivar of Fuji and Golden Delicious apples.
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 mins
- Yield: 8-12 1x
Ingredients
- For crust:
- One (16-ounce) package Pamela’s Bread Mix (see notes)
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, chilled, cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup ice cold water, plus more if needed
- For filling:
- 4 Autumn Glory apples
- 4 tablespoons almond flour or meal, divided
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon chai spice blend (see notes) or ground cinnamon, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Have two half sheet, rimmed baking pans ready. Cut two rectangles of parchment (baking) paper to fit the pans.
- Place dry bread mix into a large mixing bowl. Add the cold shortening and vegan butter. Using a pastry blender or your hands, work the shortening and vegan butter into the flour until crumbly with some larger, pea-sized pieces of shortening and vegan butter. Make a well in the center and add 1/2 cup ice cold water. Quickly stir using a fork to bring everything together into a ball in the center of the bowl. If the mixture is still dry and crumbly and not holding together, add a little more ice water, 1-2 teaspoons at a time until dough comes together. (It should not be sticky either.)
- Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment paper. Divide in half. Form two disks add wrap with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, thinly slice the whole, unpeeled, Autumn Glory apples into rounds. Use the tip of a paring knife to remove any bits of apple seeds from the center of the rounds. Set aside while rolling out pie dough.
- To roll out pie dough, place one of the parchment rectangles on a clean, dry surface. Place one disk of the dough in the center. Roll the dough into a circle about 10-inches in diameter. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of almond meal or flour in the center of the disk, leaving about a 2-inch border all the way around. Carefully pick up the parchment paper with the rolled dough and place on one of the rimmed baking sheets.
- Place some of the sliced apple rounds in a concentric circle in one even layer over the almond meal. Sprinkle some of the dark brown sugar, about 1/2 tablespoon, followed by a sprinkle of chai spice blend or ground cinnamon. Repeat with another layer of apple rounds, 1/2 tablespoon dark brown sugar, and chia spice. Carefully fold the pie dough up around the apples leaving the center open.
- Repeat the rolling and layering of apples with remaining disk of pie dough, almond meal, apples, brown sugar, and chai spice blend.
- Place galettes in oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes, switching baking sheets top to bottom halfway through baking time, or until the crust and apples are golden brown. If top starts to get too brown, place a piece of aluminum foil over galette. Let cool slightly before cutting into wedges.
- To serve, cut galettes into wedges and place on serving plate. Top with a scoop of ice cream, if desired.
Notes
-Prepared, pre-rolled, unbaked pie dough can be substituted for the gluten-free mix, shortening, vegan butter, and ice water. Or use 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour instead of gluten-free bread mix for non-GF galettes.
-Butter can be substituted for shortening and vegan butter, if desired.
-To make the chai spice blend, combine: 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon ground cardamom, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon each: ground nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and black pepper.
- Prep Time: 60 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: dessert
Disclosure: The post is sponsored by Domex Superfresh Growers of Washington State. All opinions (and gushing) are 100% my own. I only feature and recommend products that I have used and loved in my own kitchen.
