Apple Galette

As I mentioned yesterday, the Jewish high holidays are coming up and apples - a signature food for the holiday - are everywhere! And here they are for you again today in this pretty and sweet apple galette.

The dough here is rolled out to a rectangle, and the edges are folded up to form the border. You could always do this in more of a free-form round if you wanted.
Then is the painstaking layering of paper-thin slices of apple - topping them with a little butter and sugar, and baking the whole thing until they're caramelized. A little brush of jam on top and we're done. OK it's not so painstaking. I just like to complain. Have I mentioned how hot it is out? And it's September. Anyway....you should use a good chef's knife to get the thin slices you want.
Now, pay attention carefully friends: Here's what we got coming up. My birthday is just over a week away. So, starting tomorrow, and for all of next week, I'll be sharing some photos from birthday's past - more specifically, birthday cakes past. Let's just say that up until the sad, sad age of 9, I was one lucky birthday girl. So come back tomorrow for some birthday fun!

Tip of the Day:

Recipe: (adapted from America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book)
Dough:
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter or margarine, very cold
7 to 9 tablespoons ice water

Topping:
3 to 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons apple jelly (I used apricot), microwaved until smooth

Place the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor.
Dice the butter and sprinkle it over the flour.
Pulse until it becomes coarse crumbs - about 15 pulses.
Add the water about 1 tablespoon at a time through the feed tube, continuing to pulse, until small curds form - about 10 pulses.
Turn the dough crumbs out onto a floured counter, and use the heel of your hand to "smear" the dough against the counter, until all the crumbs have been worked.
Gather it all together and wrap it in plastic, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roll the dough out on a piece of parchment paper to 16"x12".
Roll each edge of the dough up to create a 1/2 inch border.
Slice the apples into 1/8" thick pieces.
Starting in one corner, shingle the slices, overlapping each about 1/3, until the dough is covered.
Dice the butter into tiny pieces and sprinkle over the apples, then sprinkle the sugar on top.
Bake at 400 F for 45 to 60 minutes, until the apples have caramelized.
Remove from the oven and brush the apples with the jelly. Let cool.
Store loosely covered with plastic wrap.