Name one thing that can trump a freshly baked pie with a homemade pastry. I’ll wait. Add a touch of nutty, lush marzipan to the filling, make the pie free-form, and you have all the makings of heaven. Or, as I call it, an apple marzipan galette.
I love how the change of season brings forth new produce, new ideas, and new recipes. There’s excitement in the air about the upcoming festive season, the cooler weather, and the promises the glorious winter sun holds. So, to celebrate, I baked one of my favorite desserts – rustic fruit pies.
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Try the apple marzipan galette recipe. It’s:
Gluten-free dessert
Easy to make with no special technique
Perfect tender, buttery crust to jammy fruit filling ratio
Almonds and apples create a symphony of flavors in this dessert
How to make an apple marzipan galette?
Marzipan and apples meld together beautifully in this recipe. The almond flavor is distinct, but not overpowering, and the apples do a fine job of cutting through the rich marzipan, giving the galette a fresh, sweet-tart taste.
First, make the galette pastry.
- Sift flour and combine it with salt and sugar. Use salt only if your butter is unsalted.
- Cut in chilled butter. Use your fingertips to rub it in, not your palms, because they hold heat and will melt your butter faster.
- Once the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs, add ice-cold water, a tablespoon at a time.
- The water should be just enough so that the dough has no dry streaks in it. (The dough does bind rather quickly.)
- Take the shaggy-looking dough and push it away from your body using the heel of your hands.
- Do it 4 to 5 times, till you have a smooth dough.
- Roll it into a ball, press to flatten it a bit, and then cover it with cling wrap.
- Let it chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Meanwhile, make the apple galette filling.
- Cut your apples into thin slices.
- Then toss them with lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon powder, and a touch of sugar.
- Macerating them will release the juices, making a more satisfying pie filling.
Finally, bake the apple marzipan galette.
- Lightly flour your prep area, and place your chilled dough on it.
- Roll it into an 8-inch or 10-inch circle. If it's oval, oblong, or completely misshapen, worry not. Galettes are extremely forgiving and do not ask for perfection. Any shape works with them.
- Place the rolled dough on a Silpat-lined tray.
- Scatter a few sliced pieces of homemade almond marzipan on it, leaving an inch of border.
- Decoratively arrange the apple slices on top of the marzipan.
- Now, fold the dough border you left as-is over the fruit, so it partly covers it like a blanket.
- With a pastry brush, spread cream or egg wash across the pie, and then sprinkle some almond flakes. (The cream/egg wash helps the flakes stick to the pastry and gives a beautiful glaze.)
- Bake for about half an hour, till the pastry takes on a golden hue and the apple juices are bubbling.
Serving ideas for the apple marzipan galette
Most pies are made to be served with a scoop of ice cream. It’s essential! But somehow this one doesn’t call for it. I feel it’s the amazing marzipan in it. The confection lends such a luscious, rich, and nutty flavor that you feel like you’re having a fancy pastry!
IMHO, a sprinkle of icing sugar is more than sufficient. But if you want to make the apple marzipan galette more indulgent, a dollop of softly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla are great options. Have it warm, cold, or at room temperature – it’s delicious. Every. Single. Time.
Apple marzipan galette recipe FAQs
The buttery crust of a pie encasing a deliciously jammy fruit is irresistible to me. But sometimes, pie-making gets neglected because it is too much work. This is when galettes come to the rescue!
These are rustic, free-form tarts that are a breeze to make. Where a pie has a double crust with a filling in between, a galette is a simple round pastry wrapped around a fruit. Pies are shaped, folded, and molded to get that gorgeous design. Galettes are formless – just flat cakes – and far easier to make
If you don’t want to bother with marzipan, just apples tossed with a bit of cinnamon powder and sugar would be fabulous. Make the galette plain, but make sure to sprinkle some polenta (like in my cherry galette) or almond meal on the dough before you arrange the apples. They prevent the pie bottom from getting soggy.
The apples I bought from them came straight from the orchards, unwaxed. So, there was no need to peel them. But the choice is yours, irrespective of where you get the apples from – peel or leave the skin on.
Yes. Substitute the butter for chilled coconut oil, and you’ll have a vegan apple galette.
Ingredient swaps for the apple galette
Flour: I have used buckwheat flour in the recipe, and that does make the dough slightly fiddly to work with and the crust crumbly, but so buttery and delicate. Plus, it pairs beautifully with marzipan.
It can be subbed with whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour. You can even use a combination of the three flours.
Fruit: Galettes are awesome with any fruit of your choice, or even with vegetables ( for a savory version)! You can make them as fancy as you like, or keep them simple.
More galettes & tart recipes you might like:
Half the joy of cooking is sharing it with others. That’s why I’m always eager to hear from you. So go right ahead & drop a comment or reach out on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Facebook. I hope you love this apple marzipan galette as much as we do!
📖 Recipe
Apple Marzipan Galette
Ingredients
Pastry
- 1.5 cup Buckwheat flour
- 1/2 cup Butter, chilled and cut into cubes
- 2 Tbsp Powdered sugar
- 3-4 Tbsp Cold water
- 1/2 tsp Salt Skip this if your butter is salted
- 2 tsp Cream for brushing the pastry You can also use egg wash
Filling
- 4 oz Marzipan, homemade or store-bought
- 2 Apples, large sliced thinly
- 1 tsp Lemon juice
- 3 tbsp Raw sugar
- 1 tsp Cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp Cornstarch
- Almond flakes For topping, optional
Instructions
Pastry
- Combine the flour, sugar, and salt ( use only if your butter is unsalted) in a large bowl.
- Rub the chilled butter cubes in the mixture, using your fingertips. When it resembles coarse breadcrumbs, add iced cold water, 1 Tbsp at a time, just enough to bind the dough. It can be a bit scraggy at this point but don’t worry, it will come together. Using the palm of your hand, push the dough away from you 4-5 times until its smooth.
- Roll into a ball and flatten it into a disk. Wrap in clingwrap and refrigerate until ready to use. This should rest for at least an hour.
- When you’re ready to bake, line a baking tray with parchment paper or silpat. Preheat the oven to 180C.
Filling
- Toss the apple slices with lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon powder, and raw sugar.
- Cut the marzipan into small pieces.
- Unwrap the dough and flour your work surface well. Roll the dough out carefully into a rough 8" round. Don’t worry if it breaks or you don't have a perfect circle.
- Scatter the marzipan pieces on the rolled out dough, leaving at least an inch of border. Arrange the apple slices on top and fold the edges of the dough over the fruit to partially cover them.
- Sprinkle the almond flakes all over the apples and on top of the pastry too.
- Bake at 180 C for 30-35 minutes until the pastry is light golden brown and the fruits are bubbly. Let it rest for at least 15 mins. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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