Social Kitchen

Oh, hello!  It’s been a while, hasn’t it?  I just thought that after last week, everyone would need a little break from, well, eating.

But it’s been over a week now, and after way too many protein shakes and yogurt cups, I’m ready to get back in the game.  And this galette, my friends, is how to kick off Eating Season, Round 2.

If you think that the sweet/salty trend has long passed us, you have not tried this yet.  It’s an unexpected combination of sweetened and spiced apples cooked in butter with tangy, creamy goat cheese with toasted almonds.  You don’t think it will work together and then you take a bite.  And all of your expectations of anything you ever knew will change.

Okay.  Fine.  Perhaps this is a little overdramatic.  Maybe this tart isn’t the journey filled with emotions that I’m describing.  But I promise that it is delicious.  And that is reason enough to make this, don’t you think?

Apple Goat Cheese Galette (adapted from Food Network)

For the Gallette:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 Braeburn apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground all spice
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
one 8-ounce frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed (either overnight in the refrigerator, or 30 minutes at room temperature)
all-purpose flour, for sprinkling
1 large egg, beaten

For the Topping:
One 4-ounce package chilled soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled into 1/3- to 1/2-inch chunks
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/3 cup tart dried cranberries

For the galette: Position a rack in the center and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples and sprinkle with the salt and lemon juice.  Saute until almost tender, tossing occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.  Whisk the sugar, spices and cornstarch in a small bowl until no cornstarch lumps remain. Sprinkle the spiced sugar over the apples in skillet, and toss to blend. Cool to lukewarm.

Place a large sheet of parchment paper on the work surface. Unfold the pastry sheet on the parchment and sprinkle both sides lightly with flour. Roll out the pastry to 12-inch square, lifting, turning and sprinkling with more flour to keep from sticking.  Slide the pastry onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Brush the pastry all over with some beaten egg, making sure you get all of the edges.  This will prevent the pastry from getting soggy in the oven.  Starting 2 inches in from the edge (to leave wide border), arrange the apple wedges close together in a circle on the pastry. Arrange the remaining apples in a smaller circle in center.  Fold the pastry border partially over the filling, pleating the pastry in loose folds. Brush the folded-up pastry border with some beaten egg.

Scrape the juices from the skillet over the apples. Bake galette until pastry edge is deep golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the topping: Toss the goat cheese, almonds and dried cranberries in a medium bowl until evenly distributed (do not over mix – the cheese should still be in distinct pieces). Chill until ready to use.

Remove the galette from the oven. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling. Return the galette to the oven and bake for 5 minutes longer to soften the cheese and cherries. Cool 20 minutes and serve warm.

This entry was posted on December 7, 2013 at 10:45 am and is filed under Uncategorized.