Apple Galette with Frangipane

Here we are, knee-deep in apple season. What are you going to do with them? If you have apples, pastry cream, and dough, you can make Apple Galette with Frangipane.

Galette

What is a galette, you ask? It is a free-form, topless tart. I know that sounds a bit like a 1960s hippie chick but it’s not.

Originally, galettes were made in northern France as flat, round, rustic pies that could be savory or sweet. The dough edges were folded partway over the filling, rather than trimmed and crimped like a traditional pie.

Ina Garten uses puff pastry as the base for her fruit galettes. Jamie Oliver uses shortcrust pastry for his savory galettes. The apple galette we are making here involves buttery pie dough.

The star, besides the apples? Frangipane.

Almond Paste, Marzipan, Frangipane: What’s the Difference?

These terms have confused me for a long time. I know they are all made from almonds. But are they the same thing?

No.

The breakdown of what’s what and how it is used:

• Almond Paste: Blanched ground almonds, powdered sugar, and egg whites. It has a coarse texture but is still soft and pliable. Add it to cakes, cookies, and other desserts that are going to be baked.
• Marzipan: Peeled ground almonds, powdered sugar, and a tiny bit of water. It is a thick, smooth, slightly stiff paste that can be dyed in different colors and used like fondant as candy and decoration.
• Frangipane: Almond meal, granulated sugar, eggs, butter, and sometimes milk. It is a soft, spreadable pastry cream. Spread it as a filling in tarts, croissants, and galettes before baking.

Almond paste and marzipan can be homemade but are also available to purchase ready-made in grocery stores and online. Frangipane is always homemade and needs to be used the same day.

Frangipane comes together quickly and is the base of this apple galette. Apples + almond frangipane = deliciousness!

Lessons Learned

• Don’t be afraid of all the French words in this post. Galette = rustic pie, frangipane = almond pastry cream. You don’t have to pronounce them correctly for them to taste good.
• The dough requires chilling time in the fridge. Don’t skip this step! The chilling will keeps the crust from flopping open and the contents from spilling out when baking.
• We’ve recently talked a lot about apples so you know I am using Cosmic Crisp and Granny Smith here. Golden Delicious would also be a good pick because the slices bake up tender while still holding their shape. This is a galette, after all, so you want it to look good topless.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Cooking Classy and Publix Super Markets for their apple galette recipes!

Apple Galette with Frangipane

• Author: Betty
• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Chill Time: 1 hour plus 20 more min
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes

Print Recipe

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Crust:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup butter, cut into small cubes
• ¼ cup ice water

Frangipane:

• 2 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp almond extract
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup almond flour
• ¼ tsp salt

Filling:

• 3 apples
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp butter, cut into cubes

Egg Wash:

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 Tbsp water or milk

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Instructions

1. Make the crust by combining flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut in the cubes of butter with a pastry cutter, or use your fingers to rub it in, until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Pour in the water and stir to moisten the dough. 
2. Lightly gather the dough and work it into a ball. Flatten it with the palm of your hand and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour or up to 3 days. 
3. Make the frangipane by adding the butter, eggs, extracts, sugar, flour, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until the ingredients are creamy. Cover and allow to rest in the fridge.
4. Prepare the filling by peeling, coring, and slicing the apples. The slices should be fairly thin, about one-quarter inch thick. Toss the slices with lemon juice, sugar, flour, and cinnamon. 
5. Prep a rimmed baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. 
6. To assemble the galette, roll out the crust on a floured surface. Roll the dough into a 12 to 14-inch circle. Don’t make the dough too thick or too thin. It should be around ⅛-inch in thickness. Place the dough circle on the prepared baking sheet.
7. Add the frangipane to the center of the circle and spread outwards, stopping 3 inches from the edge, leaving a border.
8. Drain the apples of any accumulated juices and discard juices. Arrange the slices on top of the frangipane. Make it pretty, or not. 
9. Fold the edges of the dough up and over the slices. Make folds every 3 inches or so and press gently so the dough adheres and seals edges together. 
10. Dot the apples with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. This will ensure the apples don’t look dry after baking.
11. Finally, combine the egg and liquid for the egg wash. Brush the edges of the dough with the egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if you want.
12. Refrigerate the assembled galette for 20 minutes or up to 8 hours. Cover lightly with plastic wrap if refrigerated longer than 1 hour.
13. Preheat the oven to 350 F/176 C. Bake the galette on a rack in the middle of the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until apples are tender.
14. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. 

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