Declaring this galette a Parisian-approved masterpiece might be a little dramatic.
But since I am extra, I’ll go ahead and say it — This is like a taste of Paris, right at home!
Plus it’s petite, which automatically makes it even better.
My love of galettes is not exactly a secret — see here and here for reference — and it’s pretty easy to see why. Essentially a free-form pie, galettes allow for experimentation, mistakes, and best of all? MESSES. Its shape can be oval, circular, or some non-shape in-between. The filling can be savory, sweet, or a combination of both. And the messier it looks, the more charming a treat it becomes.
Now since this is a food blog where I allegedly know things, I tried to keep this honeycrisp galette neat. I painfully arranged the apples FIVE TIMES before I was satisfied, and I made a concerted effort to achieve a circular shape. But when you remake this at home? DO YOU.
Get messy, be careless, and let your haphazard creativity flow.
You start by prepping my tried-and-true pie dough, then rolling it out into a vaguely circular shape. Arrange sliced honeycrisp apples in the center, the coat with a butter + brown sugar glaze. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla are also present, so trust that this is flavorful as hell. When you’re ready, fold up the dough around the apples to envelop them, then lastly coat the crust with egg wash and a heavy hand of brown sugar. If you think this is sounding pretty easy, good news — it IS!
Galettes might look intimidating, but they’re actually super attainable. So be bold, be brave, and get baking.
This bakes in about 45 minutes, so there isn’t too much time dying of anticipation. Normally I bake my galettes on a random baking sheet, but for whatever reason I baked this on my pizza stone. The stone made the bottom just a touch crispier than normal, but honestly either option is fine. Once it’s out of the oven, do a little shimmy (this is mandatory), then eat! I garnished mine with powdered sugar + fresh thyme for pretty photos, so you can do the same or just serve it as is.
If you love apples, butter, and sugar, clearly this treat is for you. Like a deconstructed apple pie with half the effort — pies are a bitch — this is delightfully sweet, neat, and petite! If you’re having a small brunch with the girls or making dessert for your date, as written this is perfect. It yields 6 delicate slices or 4 larger ones, so gauge what you think you’d prefer.
And if you want to show this off for the holiday season, DO IT.
Just double the recipe and you’re good. xo
Petite Brown Sugar Honeycrisp Galette
Ingredients:
- DOUGH:
- 1/4 cup salted butter
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour, sifted
- a pinch of salt
- a pinch of granulated sugar
- 3 tbsps cold water (approx.)
- FILLING:
- 1/4 cup salted butter, melted
- 2 1/2 tbsps dark brown sugar, plus more for the crust
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- 2 – 3 honeycrisp apples, sliced thin
- 1 large egg, beaten
Directions:
- Begin by preparing the dough.Using a handheld cheese grater grate butter into a small bowl, then freeze for 10 minutes (scroll this recipe for details). While the butter freezes, combine the flour, salt, and sugar in large mixing bowl.
- When ready, whisk the cold grated butter into the flour mixture until a mealy texture takes hold, then slowly begin adding water, 2 teaspoons at a time, until dough takes shape. Next, gather the dough in a ball and transfer to lightly floured surface before shaping into a flattened round. Tightly wrap in plastic wrap, then refrigerate for 45 minutes until the dough is firm and cold.
- Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl combine the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla, whisking until combined.
- Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, sprinkling the top with a touch of flour.
- With a floured rolling-pin roll out the chilled dough into a 1/8″ thick sheet in a circular shape, then transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet. Arrange the apple slices in a cohesive design in the center of the dough, leaving a roughly 1 1/2″ border around the edges. Use a pastry brush to evenly coat the apples in the butter/sugar mixture — this mixture will be thick, so take your time applying it!
- Fold up the edges of the dough around the apples, then brush the crust with the beaten egg. Lastly sprinkle brown sugar over the egg-washed crust, then bake the galette on oven middle rack for 45 – 50 minutes until the crust is golden and the center is bubbling. Cool for 2 – 3 minutes, then slice and serve!