THANKSGIVING IS THIS WEEK!! my original flight home was for wednesday night, but then i thought i changed it to a tuesday afternoon one when really it's for wednesday afternoon. good because i'm only missing 1 class (instead of the 3 i would have if it was a tuesday flight), but sad because i'm ready to blow this popsicle stand. anyways, despite those caps and going home for it (some people stay because it's so close to finals), thanksgiving is not my favorite holiday. i use turkey solely as a vehicle for cranberry sauce, stuffing tastes like salty mush to me, and pumpkin (too smooth) / pecan (too sweet) pie are not my preferred desserts of choice. what's that? you don't want pumpkin or pecan pie either and you're in charge of dessert and don't know what to make?! i've got you all figured out. apple, spiced pumpkin and frangipane galette. you get fall pie flavors, but in a less stressful format, plus a little boost from the nutty almond-based frangipane.
storebought or homemade crust works here. once upon a time, i made everything from scratch and refused to buy anything pre-made, especially in terms of lemon curd and pie crust. i've since relaxed from this stance, and find that so long as you buy a mostly or all butter crust, it's fine. i like trader joe's frozen one. and if you want to be that overachiever, go for it! my old stand-by was dorie greenspan’s, but use whatever one you want.
what you get is a galette with the flakiest crust, accompanied by crunch from the sugar baked into it. sweet/tart apples that are tender but not falling apart and a hint of spice from the pumpkin butter round it out. this apple, spiced pumpkin and frangipane galette is perfect for thanksgiving dessert: fruity and light enough that you can squeeze in a slice after the jello salad and garlic mashed potatoes and no mai fan, but with enough of the classic thanksgiving dessert elements (pie crust! apples! pumpkin! spices!) that you don't feel deprived of the traditional.
1 year ago: Spaghetti Squash with Parmigiano-Reggiano and Truffle Salt
2 years ago: Somen Salad
3 years ago: Pecan, Cherry and Coconut Granola and Creamy Espresso Custards
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pre-made pie crust rolled into a 10" circle
- 1 1/2 pounds apples, peeled, cored, halved and thinly sliced or 3 large or 6 small apples
- 1 large egg beaten
- 2 tablespoons raw sugar
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Mix everything.
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Combine everything in a small pot, and simmer until darker and slightly thickened (it will thicken more as it cools), 15-20 minutes.
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Transfer the pie crust to a parchment or Silpat-lined baking sheet. Patch up any cracks if necessary.
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Smear the pumpkin butter onto the dough, leaving a 2” border around the edge. Add the frangipane, and spread that on top of the pumpkin, leaving that same border plain.
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Arrange the apples on the frangipane in concentric circles, overlapping them slightly. It might seem like there's too many apples, but that's okay. Brush the apples and crust with the egg, then sprinkle with the sugar.
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Bake at 375F until the apples are tender, and the crust is golden, 50-60 minutes. Cool slightly before serving warm.
Frangipane adapted slightly from Joy of Baking.
Claudia | The Brick Kitchen says
Have an amazing time at home!! I'm with you on not feeling the turkey/cranberry sauce/stuffing combo, but I've just discovered the pecan pie of my dreams - a dark chocolate and bourbon version. Negates the sickly sweetness you end up with all too often! Love the sound of this - so unique with the pumpkin butter, and cheers to rustic galettes over fiddly pie lattices!!
Heather says
thanks! and oooh, that pecan pie sounds perfect (bc i agree, it usually just tastes like gloopy corn syrup with a few nuts tossed in).
Ala says
Wheee, I hope you have fun at home for the holidays! Lucky household with this amazinngggg galette. This will fix the dessert dilemma for sure 😉
Heather says
i've been counting down the hours since sunday! usually when i'm home it's the dilemma of too much dessert (unusual, i know, but i go home and all of a sudden there's cake and granola and waffles everywhere). 😂
Nila @ The Tough Cookie says
This galette looks soooo good! I completely agree with you about the store-bought pie crusts. I tried getting into the habit of making pie crust from scratch a while back, but some crusts (particularly frozen ones) you buy at the store are just (or at least almost!) as good as homemade, and it makes the whole pie- or galette-making process so much easier 😉
Heather says
thanks! using storebought pie crust makes it so much easier to go crazy and have fun coming up with what to put inside/on top of it 😊
Lili says
Your galette sounds and looks delicious! Love the combination of ingredients and flavours! Been thinking of trying to use pumpkin again and this seems a great way to do it... 🙂