Today it's all about apple tart. Actually it's a galette: no pan, free-form dough, oval or round.
I'm a believer. I adhere to the 3-2-1 formula. 3 parts flour (1 1/2 cups); 2 parts butter (2 (TWO) cubes); 1/2 cup ice water. Totally freaks out the butter police but man does it make a great pie crust. Never fails.
I've fallen in love with the Mutsu apple. Tart, sweet, holds its shape. Braeburn's nice but Mutsu has a little something that nestles into that buttery crust and delivers. And they're big. I cradle those green jewels in my elbow and peel them, smelling the beautiful aroma of tart apples as the skin is peeled away. Sometimes (always) I get a whole lot more flesh than I intend to while peeling. I do, therefore, buy a lot of apples.
Roll, pound a little and flatten the dough into a circle on a cookie sheet. Slice apples thinly and lay to rest in a circular pattern. Takes 2-3 apples depending upon your peeling talent. (I usually need 3, thanks.)
Add a little sugar (brown), cinnamon (fresh if you have it), tiny bit of cardomom, some lemon zest and a few more dots of butter (!) Pungent apple slices, sweet brown sugar, spices and buttery crust. What could go wrong?
Fold the crust over galette-style and bake at 350 for 30- 40 minutes (crust needs to be brown, apples tender and sweet.)
Easy as pie. But better.
