Happy Saturday! This week has felt extremely long so this weekend could not come fast enough. And this Saturday is extra exciting because I get to officially start testing my Halloween recipes! We have a very exciting line up so I am looking forward to testing and sharing them with you all.
Now, two posts ago I shared a recipe for a different galette. In that post I talked about how it was an accident that I ended up posting two galette recipes in the same month. However, this galette is very different from the blackberry sage one from last week. This one is predominately savory, while the one from last week was more of a sweet situation.
Additionally, this galette is another example of a recipe that is starting to shift towards the cozy fall flavors with the apples and sage, but still keeps up enough brightness to be considered a summery recipe. This has sort of been my theme for August.
Describe This Tart to Me
Taste: This galette uses both sweet and salty flavors. The crust is buttery and slightly sweet, while the pesto is herby and a little salty. The white cheddar adds a sharpness that contrasts so perfectly with the sweet apples on top.
Texture: The crust is perfectly buttery and flakey, which contrasts wonderfully with the soft apples on top. The sharp cheddar melts a little bit to add a little gooeyness especially when added with the pesto.
Ease: This galette is relatively simple to make. The crust is very quick and easy to throw together, and it’s easy to shape because it doesn’t need to be transferred to a pie or tart pan. The pesto is probably the most complicated part of this recipe, and it’s also pretty simple. It comes together by pulsing all of the ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. From there the rest of the recipe is pretty straightforward.
The Crust
This is my go-to all butter pie crust. It’s so simple and comes together with just four ingredients, but it still turns out perfectly flakey and buttery every time. The only thing to keep in mind with it is the fact that it has to chill for 2 hours before it can be used.
The Sage Pesto
So this pesto takes the base formula for basil pesto and replaces the basil with sage and the pine nuts with walnuts. These changes add an autumnal spin to the classic flavors that really compliments the apples. The kale used in this recipe is really just there to give the pesto volume. It doesn’t offer much to the flavor except for a little bit of a bitter undertone which helps balance everything out.
The Shaping
To clarify, a galette is essentially a free form tart. It’s comprised of a crust and filling, but instead of being molded into a pan, it’s simply rolled out flat and toped with the filling. We then fold the sides of the dough over the filling to create a crust. This easy method of shaping is one of the perks of the galette.
Apple and White Cheddar Galette with Walnut and Sage Pesto
Ingredients
Method
- In a large bowl, toss together the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter until pea sized crumbs form and flour is slightly moistened. Using a rubber spatula, stir in ⅓ cup of cold water until a shaggy dough forms. The dough shouldn't be crumbly or sticky, but soft and shaggy with patches of butter. If it's dry, add a little more water.
- Dump the shaggy dough onto a floured surface and form it into a ball. You don't want to knead it, just shape it into a ball. Then, flatten it slightly with your hands into a thick disk and wrap tightly with cling wrap. Chill the covered dough for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Add the kale, sage, walnuts, parmesan, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a food processor and blend until you have a spreadable pesto. It won't be a smooth paste, but should still be spreadable (see photo in the above post for a visual) Set aside.
- Wash the apple and remove the core. Using a mandoline, carefully slice the whole cored apple into very thin rounds. I used the level 2 thickness on my mandoline. You can also slice the apple very thinly with a knife if you don't have a mandoline.
- Preheat the oven to 425℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- On a heavily floured work surface using a floured rolling pin, roll the chilled dough out into a 12 inch circle. Make sure to flip and rotate your dough as you go. Carefully transfer the dough to the baking sheet. If it doesn't quite fit, don't worry, we will be folding back some of the crust.
- Spread ⅓ cup of the pesto in an even layer on top of the dough. Try to leave a 1 inch border without any pesto. Sprinkle the cheddar on top of the pesto in an even layer. Top with the apples, layering them on top of each other to create a swirl. Fold the edges of the dough over top of the apples to create a crust, pinching the dough together where it's needed. Using a pastry brush, brush the crust with the egg wash.
- Bake the galette for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Let it cool for 10 minutes before slicing and enjoying warm. Galette stays fresh sealed in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.