In my world, rainy days call for baking.
Not only is cooler weather a little more baking-friendly (hot sticky days in the kitchen? No, thank you. I’d much prefer to have a mojito and call it a day), but there’s nothing more I like on a wet, rainy day than to be inside and warm and to be baking something delicious.
Yesterday was hot weather, mojito weather, or in my particular case, afternoon sun and gin and tonic weather.
But in true Melbourne style, today was the complete opposite. Rainy, cold, baking weather.
Apple pies were requested. So I took my favourite apple-y, cold weather things (like apple turnovers, custard, galettes and sautéed caramel apples) and turned them into these little caramel apple and custard galettes.
They were lovely. The house smelt like caramel and apples and butter and cinnamon (heaven) and the galettes were gorgeously crisp and sweet.
They didn’t take long to make either, so I could spend lots of time relaxing, enjoying my day off, and eating these little babies.
- FOR THE PASTRY:
- 1 x 375g packet all-butter ready-rolled puff pastry, thawed (that's almost 1 pound)
- FOR THE CUSTARD:
- ½ recipe pastry cream, made with 1 tsp cinnamon instead of vanilla and cooled (find the link below the recipe)
- FOR THE APPLES
- 5 granny smith apples, peeled and cored
- 50g unsalted butter (1/4 cup)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F) and line two trays with baking paper.
- To prepare the apples, quarter them, then cut each quarter into four slices.
- Heat a large frying pan, add the butter and stir to melt. Add the apples and toss them through the butter until they begin to soften slightly.
- Add the brown sugar and stir, coating the apples in caramel, until the apples are par-cooked (remember they will continue to cook in the oven).
- Drain the apples, reserving the caramel sauce, and allow them to cool in the fridge.
- Meanwhile, cut your puff pastry into 8 rectangles, mine were about 10x5cm (4x2 inches), and place them on the baking trays.
- Using a small, sharp knife, score a rectangle about 1cm (1/3 inch) inside from the border of the puff pastry.
- Use a small offset spatula to spread a layer of pastry cream evenly over the inner rectangle of the pastry.
- Arrange the apples in a line down the layer of custard.
- Place the trays in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 180 C (350 F) and bake for a further 15 - 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and puffed and the apples begin to caramelise.
- Remove from the oven, brush the apples with the reserved caramel sauce and serve.
- Makes 8 galettes.
- Happy baking!
Find the recipe for pastry cream here.