Apple Galette with Toasted Almonds

I think I spoke too soon in my last post when I said that we still had many more summer nights left to spend outside, for just a few days later it snowed. Yes – Snow. The mountains were covered in clouds for days, and when they cleared, there were white dusted peaks as far as the eye could see. Now, being a Canadian girl this shouldn’t shock me too much, I remember once in Banff it snowed in the middle of July, but what surprised me the most was how fast the weather changed, one week it was 35 degrees, and the next week it had dropped down to 8.

 So, Fall has arrived here in the Alps, and I embrace it. Bring on the cold, the fog and the colours. Bring on the wool socks and warm cups of tea. Bring on the apples, the pumpkins and the pies. Bring on the comfort, the cozy and the cuddles. Bring on Fall.

This is my first fall recipe, filling the house with the smells that remind me of home. A galette is basically a lazy girl’s pie. No fancy lattice work needed, no cutting or shaping. The filling is the star here, and the messier the better. Think – rustic. Happy Fall!

APPLE GALETTE WITH TOASTED ALMONDS

Ingredients

Pie Crust

1 cup + 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
1/2 cup almond almond meal
1 tablespoon cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold butter (cubed)
1 heaping tablespoon plain yogurt
4 tablespoons ice water

Filling

1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 apples (I used gala, but use whatever is fresh and local near you)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions

Make the pie crust: combine the flour, almond powder, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and yogurt – with a pastry cutter or your hands, mix in the ingredients together so that the butter is well incorporated into the dough but resembles a corse meal. Add the water bit by bit until the dough forms a ball but is quite wet. Wrap in plastic wrap and set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes

To toast the almonds, place them in a dry skillet over medium heat until they start to turn golden brown. Stir often as once they start browning they toast up quickly

For the apple filling: slice the apples in whichever way you want, trying to keep the pieces thin and all about the same size. I chose to keep the skins on. Toss in the apples in the cinnamon and maple syrup so that every slice is well coated

Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F

Roll the dough out on a piece of parchment, add some extra flour if its sticking to the rolling pin, until you have a circle shape about 3-4mm thick

Spread the almonds out in the middle of the dough, leaving about an inch border around the edge

Top the almonds with the apples and fold over the edge of the dough so it holds in all the filling

Sprinkle the dough with a bit of cane sugar if you wish

Bake on a baking sheet in the oven for about 40-45 minutes

Let cool and serve slightly warm with your favorite ice cream – vanilla or caramel would be lovely

Eat for breakfast the next day.

Let me in on your kitchen creations – tag your photos #happyheartedkitchen and share the love!