Like the apples and cheddar combo? It’s a New England tradition in a cake. Here’s a galette version, yummy!
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
“An apple pie without cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze.”
For those of us who didn’t grow up with this tradition, the whole idea of cheddar cheese with a pie is good, even though we love eating apple slices with cheese not correct. As in “Are you kidding?” not correct.
If that’s you, I understand.
But just let the idea trickle down for a while. Apples and cheese go well together, don’t they?
A slice of apple with a slice of cheese – naked, naked perfection. Why? Because apples are both sweet and a little tart, and cheese is salty with lots of umami. So your taste buds will fire up at full speed when you eat them together.
Still, the idea of cheddar with or in a sweet apple dessert is odd for those of us not used to the idea. So you just have to trust me on this one.
It’s good. Like “Where has this been all my life?” Well.
I speak from experience here. I’ve avoided the idea since I first heard about it. But this week I decided to take the plunge and make an easy galette, a rustic tart topped with apples, some maple syrup for sweetness, cheddar, in a buttery cheddar sprinkled crust.
All I can say is WOW. Thanks New England.
For more information on which apple varieties are best for baking, check out our guide to apples.
New England Apple Cheddar Galette
If you’re using a tart apple like a Granny Smith, you can add a little sugar or more maple syrup to the filling to balance out the apple’s acidity.
ingredients
Crust:
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1 1/2 cups (200 G) all purpose flour
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1/2 teaspoon Salt
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1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
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1 1/2 sticks (170 G) unsalted butter
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1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (85 ml) sour cream (full fat, not light)
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2 tablespoon Finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
Filling:
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4 good cooking applessuch as McIntosh, Courtland, Jonagold, Pippin, Golden Delicious, Jonathan, Fuji, or a mix of different cooking apples (NOT Red Delicious)
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1/2 teaspoon Lemon peel
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1/2 lemonor the juice of 1/2 lemon (to acidify the water for holding the apples while you peel them so they don’t discolor)
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1 tablespoon maple syrup
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2 teaspoon tapioca Minute tapioca or instant tapioca as a thickener (can substitute cornstarch)
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1 teaspoon Cinammon
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1/2 Cup lightly packed grated cheddar cheese
Completion:
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1 egg to wash eggs
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Rough sugar for sprinkling the crust
method
Make the puff pastry
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Cut the butter into cubes. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar. Scatter the butter cubes over the flour.
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Use your clean hands to press the flour and butter together, breaking the butter into smaller pieces until the mixture resembles a fairly shaggy, coarse flour with a few pea-sized chunks of butter. Add the sour cream and a few tablespoons of finely grated sharp cheddar cheese and stir with a fork until incorporated.
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Gather the mixture with your hands and form a ball. Form the ball into a disk. Dust with a little flour, wrap in cling film and chill in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes and up to a day in advance.
Prepare galette
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Peel apples, core, quarter, place in water with lemon juice:
Preheat the oven to 205°C. Prepare a large bowl half filled with water. Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon (and squeeze in the lemon too, if you like). Peel, quarter, and core the apples and place them in the acidified water as you work to keep the apples from discoloring.
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Slice apple quarters:
Take the apple quarters out of the water. Slice each apple quarter lengthwise into 4 or 5 slices, about 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch thick at the widest end. Put the apple slices back into the acidified water.
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Drain apple slices, sprinkle with maple syrup, cinnamon, minute tapioca, zest:
Drain the apple slices. Place the apple slices back into the now empty bowl. Sprinkle with maple syrup and cinnamon and toss gently so the apple slices are lightly coated with both. Add the small tapioca and lemon zest. Swirl carefully again.
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Roll out the dough, place on a baking tray lined with baking paper:
Place the disc of dough on a clean, lightly floured, flat surface. Roll out with a rolling pin to an even thickness and about 14 cm wide. Gently move the rolled out dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
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Arrange the apple slices on the dough:
Starting 2 inches from the circumference of the dough round, arrange the apple slices side-by-side in a circular pattern, filling in the circle. It’s okay if some of the apple slices overlap a little.
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Sprinkle with cheese, fold edges:
Sprinkle the top of the apples with shredded cheddar cheese. Gently fold the dough over the apple slices, forming folds with the dough every few inches.
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Brush with egg yolk, sprinkle with coarse sugar:
Place an egg in a small bowl with a teaspoon of water and beat with a fork or whisk until smooth. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg milk over the exposed edge of the batter (don’t apply the apples, just the batter). Sprinkle the crust washed with egg with coarse sugar.
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Bake:
Bake at 205°C (400°F) for 10 to 15 minutes (until they begin to brown). Then reduce the temperature to 190°C and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes until the apples are cooked through and the crust is nicely browned.
Let cool until just slightly warm before serving.
Links:
Maple, Apple, Cheddar Pie by Mary of One Perfect Bite
An apple pie without cheese is like a kiss without theKitchn’s squeeze
Cheddar Apple Squares from Yankee Magazine
Apple Chicken Quesadilla here on Simply Recipes
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 470 | calories |
| 32g | Fat |
| 43g | carbohydrates |
| 7g | protein |
