Mini Apple Galettes with Cheddar Crust

I really like apple and cheddar together and since I'm all about sweet and salty, it's no wonder. I also really like making galettes, which is just a french-style rustic tart. And rustic tart basically equals lazy pie. Right up my alley. If this pie sounds a little weird to you, trust me. You know how they say there's a fine line between genius and insane? Just imagine these little pies resting comfortably in the middle of that line.

We have a family friend that I used to visit and stay the weekend with occasionally when I was little at her amazing beach house (seriously, it's built on pilings and literally ON the water of the Puget Sound) and she'd make me the most delicious meals. Stuff like dutch babies with red currant preserves, slow cooked chicken and gravy, and apple pie with a slice of cheddar cheese right on top. Of course being served a piece of pie with a fat slice of cheddar on top at age 9, I was skeptical, confused, and a little terrified. Until I reluctantly took a bite. I've been a believer ever since. And I am confident you will be to. For this recipe, I've integrated the cheddar into the crust itself for a more nuanced apple-cheddar experience.

A quick note about cheddar: I used an aged english cheddar I found that had a really lovely nutty note and a sharp bite but you can use whatever you like. Just please, please don't use the orange stuff. That's not cheese. I'm not sure what it is but just use the good stuff, ok? Ok. Glad we had this talk.

makes about 8 mini galettes

Crust:
2 1/2 c flour
1 T sugar
1 t salt
8 oz butter (2 sticks) cold and cubes
1 c cheddar, lightly packed
1/2 c ice water

Filling:
5 apples, peeled and sliced (I used a mix of gala and granny smith)
2/3 c brown sugar
3 T flour
2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
healthy pinch of salt
1 T lemon juice (about half a lemon)

Topping:
1 egg, lightly beaten
turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Make the dough:
Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl and mix with your hands to integrate the ingredients. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles course meal. Add the cheddar and mix to combine with your hands. Working quickly, drizzle in the water a little at a time and stir the dough together with a wooden spoon until it just comes together to form a ball. Shape into two discs and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Assemble the galettes:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine everything for the filling in a large bowl and toss to combine. Set aside while you roll out the dough. Pull out one of the discs and divide evenly into 4 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece into a rough circle, about an 1/8 of an inch thick and repeat with the rest of the dough. Place the rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about an inch between galettes. Add about 1/2 c of the filling to each round, leaving about a 1inch border. Gently fold the edges of the dough up around the filling, overlapping the folds. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle lightly with turbinado sugar. Bake about 30-35 minutes, until the dough is golden brown and the filling is bubbling and the apples are tender.