Double dose of apples in an easy fall tart

King Arthur Baking had the best option, a galette (rustic tart), but it is a three-part recipe that involves not only making the apple butter, but also a homemade crust. I usually don't mind putting together a crust, but not on this busy October weekend.

So I opted for a premade crust, even though I feel the readily available one (Pillsbury) is a bit salty for fruit pies. It's also rather small for a good galette. So: an experiment.

I unrolled one pie crust from the box, then lightly brushed it with water and sprinkled on some cinnamon sugar. The other crust went right on top, and the two crusts were rolled together to become a larger crust with a bit of sugar and spice embedded.

It baked just fine, and didn't taste salty, but I still prefer a homemade crust. Try Dorie Greenspan's galette dough recipe for an excellent basic crust. The one listed with the KA recipe is made with golden (light) whole wheat flour and sour cream, so a little fussier but also a good option.

Another note: Use a few varieties of apples to deepen the flavor profile. Firmer apples such as Pink Lady, Granny Smith and (if you can find them) Kanzi are ideal for this. They need to be sliced thinner than for apple pie so the slices will be tender yet hold their shape when the crust is done.

Apple butter and apple galette

Adapted from King Arthur Baking

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

One homemade galette crust or two premade pie crusts

Cinnamon sugar (equal parts ground cinnamon and sugar of choice), optional

1-1/2 cups homemade or purchased apple butter

3 to 4 apples, preferably different varieties

Juice from half a lemon

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, diced

Milk or water for brushing crust

Sparkling or raw sugar, for sprinkling on crust

Instructions:

If using two premade crusts: Unroll one of the crusts on a piece of lightly floured parchment paper.  Flip it over so the other side gets some flour, too. Give the crust a very light brushing with water, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the crust.

Unroll the second crust and place it directly on top of the first one, and gently press it into the first crust. Use a rolling pin to flatten the two crusts together, maintaining a general round shape, until the crust measures about 13 inches across the middle. Transfer the crust and parchment paper to a flat baking pan.

If using a single homemade crust: Roll out the crust on a piece of lightly floured parchment paper to 12 to 13 inches in diameter. Transfer it and the paper to a flat baking pan.

Both versions: Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Peel and core the apples, and cut into 1/8-inch slices. You should have about 5-1/2 cups of slices. Place in a large bowl with the lemon juice, brown sugar and salt, stirring so the lemon juice mixture is well distributed.

Using an offset spatula, spread the apple butter evenly over the crust, leaving a 1-inch border of uncovered crust (it doesn't have to be exact).  Starting about 1 inch from the edge of the apple butter, arrrange the apple slices on top of the apple butter, overlapping the slices slightly, in circles. You may not need all the slices, but make sure the slices are evenly distributed across the galette.

Dot the apples with the butter. Fold the edges of the crust up around apples. Brush the crust with water or milk and sprinkle the sugar over the entire galette (amount to taste -- I used just a little).

Bake for 33 to 36 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the apples are bubbling. (Cover the top lightly with foil if the crust is browning too quickly.)

Remove the galette to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

The galette can be held at room temperature for a day, lightly covered. After that, wrap and refrigerate.