Perfectly imperfect: Apple and Dried Apricot Galette

The rustic shape of this delicious galette made with apples, dried apricots and thyme is one of its charms. Recipe below.

TERRY AND I HAVE A FONDNESS FOR IMPERFECT THINGS. Our favorite piece of furniture is an old farmhouse cupboard we got at some flea market years ago, with chipped gray paint, slightly wavy glass in the doors, little drawer pulls that are not quite tight and stubbornly refuse to ever be tightened, and feet that speak of years of hard work and being banged and knocked into in some hard-working kitchen. It leans back ever so slightly—the place where we keep it, in the tiny hallway leading to our kitchen, allows it to rest its top against the wall. It’s tragic and odd and we love it.

Galettes are always described as rustic because their visual beauty lies in their imperfection. Instead of creating a perfectly crimped, perfectly round pie crust, you fold and pleat the crust around the filling. The freeform technique means they are simple to make—out and out fun, in fact. They are a thing of beauty in other ways too.

That simplicity is inspiring—make just one and it will fill you with ideas for more. And the informal approach suggests flexibility in the serving too. If you like, you can dress them up beyond the basics—this one has an optional glaze, but you could bake it with a scattering of extra-coarse sugar, or serve it with a bit of whipped cream or a little scoop of vanilla ice cream.

This particular galette was inspired by the apricot jam that is often used to glaze apple pastries. Instead of jam, this uses actual dried apricots, with Gala apples. This time, we used a store-bought crust (more on that in the recipe). But you can also use the crust recipe from Terry’s Peach Blueberry Galette or your own favorite recipe.

You can also make galettes ahead of time and freeze them before baking. Get all the details in the Kitchen Notes.

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Apple and Dried Apricot Galette

The rustic shape of this delicious galette made with apples, dried apricots and thyme is one of its charms.

Course Dessert

Servings 6 to 8 slices

Equipment

• hotel pan, COOKINA or Silpat silicone cooking mat or parchment paper

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dried apricots, about 4 ounces
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1-3/4 pounds apples (see Kitchen Notes)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 5 teaspoons flour, divided
• 1 pie crust, store-bought or homemade

Instructions

• Prepare the dried apricots. Slice them into small pieces—I cut each one into 4 or 5 bits. Put them in a small saucepan with the cup of water and 2 tablespoons sugar and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the apricots—reserve the cooking liquid for the glaze. Let the apricots cool to room temperature.
• Peel and core the apples and slice them. Toss with lemon juice to keep them from browning.
• Roll out the crust. You may use Terry’s galette crust recipe here, or your favorite pie crust recipe, or, as I did this time, a commercial shortcut. This time, in the spirit of giving ourselves a break and trying something new, we used a flat, rolled Pillsbury ready-made crust (not one already formed in a pie pan). If you do this, then follow the package directions, which of course are quite simple. And PS, we are pleased with the result—10/10 would buy again. Put the COOKINA or Silpat on the baking sheet, then finish rolling out the crust directly on the sheet.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the filling components—the sliced apples, apricots, cinnamon, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and 4 teaspoons flour. Use your hands to mix everything together. Taste the apples—if they seem too bland, add a dash more lemon juice.
• Sprinkle the last teaspoon of flour in the middle of the rolled out crust (see photo). Using a slotted spoon, heap the apple-apricot mixture in the middle. If liquid has gathered in the bottom of the mixing bowl, leave it there. Make sure the components are even distributed—the apricots will have a tendency to find each other and just hang out together, and we want them to be evenly distributed. Then gather up the dough and pinch-pleat it all around to form a bowl. Brush the dough with beaten egg white.
  
• Then let the whole thing rest in the fridge for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF.
• Bake the galette for about 50 – 60 minutes. It is done when the crust is handsomely browned and the apples are soft.
• If you want to glaze the galette, pour the reserved apricot poaching liquid into a small saucepan and cook it down until it is a thick syrup. It will start to caramelize. Quickly drizzle it over the top of the galette, and there you are. Serve. Cut into wedges, warm or room temperature.

Kitchen Notes

Apple picking. This time, I used Gala apples, which is what we happened to have on hand. This would be good with any cooking apple, or one of the newer bright-tasting varieties like Jazz, or, of course, classic Golden Delicious or any of the russets—my very favorite for baking.

Freeze for a future galette. The galette may be frozen for baking later. If you choose to do this, then the point in the process to do this is once the galette has been assembled, but before you brush it with egg. Wrap it well and freeze it. To bake, take it out of the freezer and put it on the baking pan/Silpat, brush with egg, and slide straight into the hot oven. You will need to add very approximately four or five minutes to the baking time.

The serving platter. Again, a nod to our friend Liz, who has asked us to talk about the dishes featured in our posts. This is artisanal enamelware from Bornn, a Turkish design company run by two sisters. It's part of their Marble Collection, produced  using the traditional marbling technique that emerged in Anatolia back in the 15th century. One of our daughters got this gift for us in Detroit's Eastern Market neighborhood.