Apple Galette with Caramel Applesauce | Baking with Dorie

There are a few apple galettes I make: French country style, apple with calvados, or a tart with apple compote. The common elements are the sweet crust and the tasty apples. The variation in this recipe from Baking with Dorie lies with the saucy filling. It’s a homemade apple sauce with an unexpected bittersweet depth of dark caramel.

In my earlier years of baking, I like to experiment to facilitate learning and to satisfy my curiosity. I’d go into great length just to try something new. The focus has shifted since I’ve gotten enough baking essentials under my belt. Looking back: I’ve started this food blog ten years ago in the fall of 2014 and have written close to 1,000 posts. Now I’m more into the practicality of putting delicious food on the table for my family and friends — and on a regular bases.

Galettes have become one of my favorite things to bake and to eat.

This is a long way to say that the process of making a galette has become the hallmark of what and how I like to bake. An apple galette speaks to the simplicity and sustainability of having seasonal ingredients, supported by a crackle and flaky dough. Then give it distinct personality with a saucy filling. It can be sweet or savory. On top of that, the tart is a freeform and is very forgiving. The beauty of it all: no stressing over making it perfect. The outcome tends to be impressive, more so than the amount of effort I put into it.

I did spend time slicing the apples as thinly as I can with a sharp knife. That way, I never have to worry about the apples turning up too uncooked for my taste.

Who is to say you can’t use a store-bought crust or, for that matter, a jar of applesauce from the market? If you’re inclined to make the homemade caramel applesauce, see the recipe below for details. We can put together an apple galette with caramel applesauce ready for the oven in about 15 minutes. Way to go!

Print Recipe

Caramel Applesauce

By Dorie Greenspan – Serves: 1 3/4 cups

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup, 133g sugar
• 2 to 2 1/2 pounds (about 1 kilo) apples (3 large or 5 medium), peeled, halved, cored and quartered

Instructions

1

Make the caramel: Using a 9-inch non-stick skillet, pour in the sugar and spread it evenly over the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat to medium-high and stay close. As soon as you see the sugar changing color around the edges of the pan, either swirl the pan or stir small circles around the pan with a silicone spatula. Draw the unmelted sugar to the edges little by little. When all the sugar has melted and turned a light amber color, take the pan off the heat. Don't be alarmed if it's smoking.

2

Cook the applesauce: Arrange the apples snugly in the pan over medium-high heat. Bring the caramel to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and cook for about 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the pan; there is no need to do anything. When you can easily pierce the apples with a knife, use a spoon to turn them over and cook for 5 more minutes.

3

Puree the sauce: Let the apples cool a bit before pureeing them. Scrape the apples into a food mill or a blender until they're saucy. Spoon the applesauce into a heatproof container. Set aside

Notes

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking with Dorie