Apple Galette with Hazelnut Frangipane

I’ll be honest, this post has been in my “to review” queue for over a month. I was really inspired to create the recipe and shoot it, and then lost all steam every time I went to write the post. You may have noticed it’s been a little quiet around here lately. I’ve felt a little burnt out with blogging. There are so many parts of it I still enjoy and I’m not going anywhere but it’s a lot of freaking work, especially when this isn’t my full-time gig. I’ve learned to let myself take these creative breaks when I feel I need to. Just as resting our body is important, so is resting our mind. I’m also taking a step back to evaluate what “creating content” will look like for me in the future and how I can make it more meaningful. I absolutely love creating recipes to share with you but I despise cranking out content at an unsustainable rate, which is a cycle I’ve gotten stuck in before. I create this cycle by putting pressure on myself to put out consistent content, which is just not always realistic. I don’t create my best work and I get, well, burnt out. I’m also pivoting to working with more photography clients which is the work that really feeds my soul so there’s that, too. But I did want to get this recipe out because it’s a good one.

You know I love a pie, especially a galette. I adore frangipane as well. It’s typically made with almonds but I love the hazelnut swap here with the apples. The frangipane is sweet, creamy, nutty and is just perfect with the tart apples. This would be so perfect for Thanksgiving but honestly it’s good anytime. Hope you make it and let me know if you do!

makes 1 10 inch galette

crust
1 2/3 c all purpose flour
1/2 t Himalayan pink salt (kosher works too)
1/2 c + 2 T unsalted butter, cold and cubed
2 t apple cider vinegar
1 large egg yolk
3 - 4 T ice water
1 egg, for egg wash
2 t raw turbinado sugar

filling
1/2 c finely ground hazelnuts or hazelnut flour
1/4 c organic cane sugar
big pinch Himalayan pink salt (or kosher)
4 T unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature, divided
1 t vanilla bean paste (or extract)
4-5 small/medium apples
raw sugar, for sprinkling

make the crust
In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add in the butter and toss to coat in the flour mixture. Using your hands, pinch the pieces of butter between your thumbs and pointer fingers to flatten into thin shards of butter. Continue until all butter has been flattened, working quickly to prevent the butter from getting too warm. In a small bowl mix together the egg yolk, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of the ice water. Drizzle mixture over the flour mixture and use a wooden spoon or spatula to incorporate. Drizzle over the last 1 to 2 tablespoons of ice water as needed, a little at a time, just until the dough comes together and is no longer dry and crumbly. You may not need all of the remaining 2 tablespoons, depending on the humidity of the day. Pat the dough out into a rough rectangle about an inch thick. Slice the rectangle into quarters and stack pieces on top of one another. Gently pat out with your hands into a rectangle about an inch thick again. Repeat the cutting and stacking once more. This is going to give us all those flaky layers. Pat dough out and shape into a round disk about an inch thick, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge at least two hours or overnight, ideally.

make the filling
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy, a minute or so. Add one egg and vanilla bean paste and mix again until combined. Add the hazelnut flour and salt and mix until fully combined.

make the pie
Preheat oven to 450 F. Half and core all the apples then slice into very thin slices, about 1/4 inch in thickness, being careful to leave them grouped together after sliced. Set aside. On a well-floured surface, roll the dough out into a large circle about 1/8th inch thick and place on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Add the hazelnut frangipane mixture to the enter of the dough and spread into an even layer, leaving about a 2 inch border around the whole thing. Arrange the apples all over the frangipane, gathering up groups of slices together and fanning out slightly by pressing down on the top of them. You can overlap them as well. Fold up the sides of the dough onto the filling in a pleated pattern. Whisk the egg together with a splash of water to make the egg wash and brush the sides of the dough. Sprinkle with the raw sugar and bake for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Allow to cool for at least an hour before serving with ice cream or whipped cream if you’d like.