All-Butter Pie Crust and Mini Galettes
All-Butter Pie Crust
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4-6 tablespoons ice water
Whisk together the flour, sugar and salt, and place in your food processor. Scatter the cold butter over the flour, and pulse the food processor a few times until mixture is crumbly, with some pieces of butter the size of peas. Don't over process the mixture. When the dough bakes, the water will evaporate from the butter, creating little steam pockets in the crust, which is what gives it a nice flaky texture.
Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of ice water over the mixture and pulse a few times. Add more water, a little at a time, until the dough starts to pull together. Stop, turn the mixture out onto a work surface, and gather it all together. It should be pretty thick and a little sticky.
Divide into 2 equal balls (for 2 standard pie crusts) or 4 equal balls (for 4 mini pie crusts). Flatten the balls into a round disk with your hands, then wrap each tightly in plastic wrap until ready to use. If you don't use the dough within a few days, store in the freezer.
Apple Cream Galette
4 ounces (1/2 package) low-fat cream cheese, slightly softened
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 egg, yolk and white separated
1 apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon coarse Turbinado sugar
1 recipe all-butter pie crust (use 1/4 of the dough from above recipe)
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, cornstarch and egg yolk for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, toss the apple slices with the apple pie spice, brown sugar and lemon juice. Set aside.
Take the chilled pie dough and sprinkle with a little flour. On a floured surface, roll the dough out fairly thin, until it's about 10 inches in diameter. Place on a silpat, or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Spread the cream cheese mixture in the center of the dough, leaving a two-inch border all around. Arrange the apple slices on top of the cream cheese.
Fold the edges of the dough up, overlapping every two inches, and pressing the edges gently together. Don't worry about sealing the folded edges too carefully yet. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg white all around the edges of the galette, making sure to get it under the folds, too. This will help to seal the folded edges. Sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes, until the crust is browned and golden. Cool for an hour before slicing. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream or whipped cream.
Yields 4 servings.
Almond Cheese Galette with Chocolate Drizzle
8 ounces (1 package) low-fat cream cheese, slightly softened
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 egg, yolk and white separated
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup fruit or nut paste (such as almond paste, fig paste or even orange marmalade)
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 recipe all-butter pie crust (use 1/4 of the dough from above recipe)
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, cornstarch, egg yolk, lemon juice and almond extract for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Take the chilled pie dough and sprinkle with a little flour. On a floured surface, roll the dough out fairly thin, until it's about 10 inches in diameter. Place on a Silpat, or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Spread the fruit or nut paste in the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border all around. Top with the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle the almonds on top.
Fold the edges of the dough up, overlapping every two inches, and pressing the edges gently together. Don't worry about sealing the folded edges too carefully yet. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg white all around the edges of the galette, making sure to get it under the folds, too. This will help to seal the folded edges. Sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes, until the crust is browned and golden. Cool for an hour before slicing. Just before serving, melt the chocolate according to the directions on the package. Pour into a zip-lock bag and snip off a very tiny piece from the corner. Drizzle the melted chocolate on the serving plates, and place the slices of galette on top of the chocolate drizzle.
Yields 4 servings.