Apple-Pear Galette With Apple Cider Caramel

This galette recipe that pairs two fruit cousins, the apple and the pear, comes from the NY Times. The crust is flaky and so easy - you just dump the mixed dough into a piece of plastic wrap and squoosh it into a disc. After an hour of chilling, it is a breeze to roll out. The recipe calls for a Bartlett pear which is pretty bland, so feel free to try your favorite variety. The galette is excellent without the sauce on it, but who doesn’t like salted caramel? A little drizzle moves this dessert from excellent to ecstacy.

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface

  • ½ cup whole-wheat flour

  • 2 Tbs sugar

  • ¾ tsp kosher salt

  • 10 Tbs cold unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks), cut into pieces

  • 4 Tbs ice water

  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten, for brushing

For the filling:

  • 1 to 2 crisp apples, such as 20 oz., cored and very thinly sliced

  • 1 to 2 just ripe pears, cored and very thinly sliced

  • ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar

  • 1 Tbs cornstarch

  • ¾ tsp freshly grated lemon zest

  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

  • 2 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into pieces

For the caramel:

  • 2 cups apple cider

  • ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar

  • 2 Tbs unsalted butter

  • ½ tsp kosher salt

  • 2 Tbs heavy cream

Directions:

  1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flours, sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand with some larger pieces. Add the ice water and pulse just until the mixture is evenly moistened. You may need to add an additional Tbs of water if the mixture seems too dry and crumbly. Tip the mixture out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Use the edges of the plastic to pack the dough into a disc. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.

  2. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together apples, pears, sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and cinnamon. On a lightly floured piece of parchment, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle. Top the dough with the prepared fruit in concentric circles leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Lift and press the edges up over the fruit, folding as necessary. Using the parchment paper, transfer the galette to a rimmed baking sheet. Chill for 10 minutes.

  3. Brush the border of the pastry with the beaten egg. Dot the fruit with the butter. Bake until the filling is tender and the crust is deep golden brown, about 45 minutes. Some of the juices may leak out, but that’s O.K.

  4. Wait until the galette is almost baked to begin making the caramel. Bring apple cider to a boil over medium-high heat in a small saucepan. Continue to cook the cider until it has reduced to 1 cup liquid, about 13 to 14 minutes. Don’t stop boiling too early or your caramel sauce will be runny. Then add brown sugar, butter, and salt, and stir to combine. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and continue to cook the mixture, whisking often, until it has become syrupy and thickened slightly, about 13 to 15 minutes. Whisk in the cream, and set aside to cool slightly. (The caramel will thicken as it cools.)

  5. ·  Remove tart from the oven, and let it cool slightly in the pan on a rack. Transfer the galette to a serving plate, and drizzle with caramel.  Serve warm or at room temperature with any remaining caramel.