Apple Galette with Cognac Cream

Serves 8-10

For the crust:

• 1 3/4 cup (220g) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 1/4 cup (30g) almond flour
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• Pinch of fleur de sel
• 6 ounces (1 ½ sticks/170g) cold unsalted European butter, cut into 12 pieces
• 1/4 cup ice water

For the almond cream:

• 2/3 cup (75g) almond flour
• 6 tablespoons (75g) of granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons (¾ stick/85g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 large egg
• Seeds of 1 vanilla bean
• Pinch of fleur de sel

For the tart:

• 8 medium crisp apples such as Pink Lady or Gala (or if you can find them, French “Reinette” apples), peeled, cored, quartered and sliced ¼-inch to ⅛-inch thick
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, for melting
• 1 cup heavy cream, for whipping
• 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting
• 1 tablespoon Cognac

For the galette dough:

In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter. Using your hands, gently toss to coat the butter in the flour mixture. Scoop the mixture into your hands and gently press the flour and butter between your fingertips until the mixture looks grainy, with some small pieces of butter still visible. Work quickly to ensure the butter stays cold. Drizzle the ice water slowly over the dough and use a fork to gently toss until incorporated. Depending on the climate, you may not need to use all the water. Continue working the dough, gently squeezing it between your fingertips until it comes together and there is no dry flour visible. Be careful not to overwork the dough. It’s ready as soon as you can squish the dough together in one hand and it stays together.

Shape the dough into a roughly 5-inch disk about an inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight. (The galette dough can be wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

For the almond cream:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sugar, and flour. Add the butter, egg, vanilla seeds, and salt and beat, first with a wooden spoon and then again with the whisk, until smooth and fully combined. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours, before using.

Assemble the galette:

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Remove the dough from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature for about 30 minutes, or until just pliable and ready to roll. Let the almond cream sit at room temperature to soften slightly into a spreadable consistency.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll the softened dough into a large round, about 15 inches (40 cm) in diameter and 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Brush off any excess flour with a pastry brush. Place the dough round on the prepared sheet pan.

In a small saucepan, melt the 3 tablespoons of butter and set aside. Using an offset spatula, spread the almond cream into a thin layer on the dough, leaving a 2-inch border all around. Arrange a single layer of the apple slices in a ring on top of the almond cream around its edge so there’s a complete ring of apple slices just inside the 2-inch border of empty dough. (This makes sure there’s a bite of apple in the thickest part of the crust.) Arrange more of the remaining apple slices in a ring perpendicular to the edge of the tart, tightly overlapping them within the circle created by the edge of apple slices. Repeat to create an inner circle going in the opposite direction. Repeat as needed, or add sliced apples to the center, to fill the entire galette. Fold the border over the apple edge to enclose the apples, overlapping the dough and pressing it gently to adhere as you go. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the butter over the dough edges and drizzle a generous amount over the apple slices and the pastry. Sprinkle sugar over the edges of the dough and top of the fruit. Using a pastry brush, remove excess sugar from the parchment to avoid burning. (If your dough no longer feels cool, refrigerate the tart here for 30 minutes before continuing.)

Bake until the crust is golden and the apple slices are nicely browned, 50 to 65 minutes, or until the crust is well browned and the apples are golden brown. Gently slide the tart onto a wire rack to cool.

In a chilled medium glass or metal bowl, add the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, Cognac, and whip using a whisk until soft peaks form.

Slice the apple galette into 8 or 10 pieces, dust with confectioners’ sugar, and serve with the Cognac cream.

Cooks’ Note: Using vanilla beans and making vanilla extract.

We always keep our Madagascar vanilla beans stored in a glass jar filled with vodka. The process is simple: We find the best beans we can, place them in a tall, narrow jar that fits them comfortably, then cover them with vodka and set them aside for a few weeks at room temperature. The vodka turns a lovely amber color, becoming vanilla extract, and the beans soften. This produces two forms of vanilla that make a big difference in our baking: high-quality vanilla beans that are easy to use, and a vanilla extract with unparalleled vanilla flavor. Whenever we need to use vanilla seeds in a recipe, rather than tediously scraping the seeds out of an unsoaked pod with a paring knife, we simply snip a soaked bean in half and squeeze out the softened vanilla seed paste from the end to the cut edge of each bean half with our fingers.