I couldn’t resist buying these cute mini (crab) apples at the Farmer’s Market. Even armed with the knowledge that they’re unbelievably tart and not a hand eating apple, I still went ahead. I originally wanted to walk away shaking my head while uttering that I’m not ready for Autumn to be here, but alas, I folded and still bought them without a clue of what I would do with them. And since I’m not into preserving a ton of fruit I came up with this recipe to share with you all.
I paired these tart cuties with a bourbon caramel and a more savoury buttery crust. The tartness of the crab apples with the sweet caramel and buttery flaky crust really comes together (can you hear the shock in my voice?). It reminds me of late Fall when Halloween is almost here and a day rainy is calling for a piece of pie.
Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar, divided
14 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled
Filling:
2 pints crab apples, halved and stems removed (I left seeds and core intact, they’re so small they weren’t noticeable in the galette. Feel free to take the time to remove them if you wish)
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and cut or grated into small pieces
2 tbsp bourbon, optional but you won’t regret it if you add it in 😉
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Take the chilled butter and with the large holes of a cheese grater, grate the butter until it’s all in small pieces. (you can also cut the butter into small pieces, but I find the grating method faster and more effective. It is a tad messier though).
In a food processor combine flour, salt, and 1 tbsp of sugar. Add butter pieces. Combine until a coarse texture appears.
Using one 1 tbsp at a time, add cold water to the food processor until a dough starts to form (I added 3 tbsp).
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, knead a couple of times, and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, toss together crab apples, brown sugar, bourbon (optional), and butter in a large bowl.
Remove dough from fridge and on a lightly floured surface roll-out to 14″ in diameter . (This is the diameter that worked for my cast iron skillet which is 12″ wide. If yours is a different size, adjust the diameter and cooking time accordingly). Drape the rolled-out dough across the skillet, allowing the dough to hang over the sides. Top with crab apple mixture.
Fold over the edges of the dough over the fruit to create pleats. (This was free form for me. Fold over so that you’re happy with how it looks). Lightly brush the rim of the dough with water and sprinkle with remaining 1 tbsp of sugar.
Bake until golden brown, about 50-60 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes and slice into wedges.
Serve with slightly sweetened crème fraîche (I use 1/2 cup with 1 tbsp sugar, a drop of vanilla, and 1 tbsp bourbon whisked together), whipped cream, or ice cream (it’s so short sighted of me, I should have served this with a salted caramel ice cream. Well, over to you guys to tell me how delicious that option is).
Enjoy!
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