I can’t seem to thank my friends enough for their hard work and crazy talent. Kate, from Cookie + Kate has made an exceptional treat for you all today. I’m so excited for you to see it! I love and miss you all! -Caroline

Hello all! I’m delighted to contribute a post on Chocolate and Carrots while Caroline is away. I don’t know Caroline in real life, but I know that we have more than a few things in common. We’re both dog lovers (I even named my blog after my dog, Cookie) and have an appreciation for healthy, approachable recipes along with the occasional, serious indulgence.

This galette recipe strikes somewhere between healthy and indulgent. Galettes are rustic, free form pies with sweet or savory fillings. My galette is filled with fresh, seasonal Granny Smith apples, lightly sweetened with raw sugar and maple syrup and topped with a sprinkling of pecans. The flaky, crispy crust is made with 100% whole wheat flour and butter—lots of it!

I used the same crust recipe that I used for my peach and blackberry galette this summer. It’s a bit involved but absolutely worth the effort. You can save time down the road by doubling the pie crust recipe and freezing half of it for later. I filled mine with five average sized organic apples but just barely had enough dough to cover the sides, so you may want to use four apples. It’s up to you!

Rustic Apple Pecan Galette Recipe
Whole wheat crust slightly adapted from Whole Living.

Filling ingredients:

• 4 to 5 organic Granny Smith apples (see note above), sliced into 1/4″ thick wedges
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup crushed pecan pieces
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon raw sugar

Whole wheat galette crust ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 4-6 tablespoons ice water

Instructions:

1. Prepare the crust first, because you’ll need to chill it in the refrigerator. Start by whisking together the flour and salt in a large bowl.
2. Use a pastry cutter (or a butter knife) to cut in the cold butter until the mixture has coarse crumbs.
3. Add four tablespoons of ice water, and mix with a spoon until it starts coming together into a workable dough. Four tablespoons was just enough for my dough, but if it still looks dry, add one tablespoon of water at a time until you reach the right consistency.
4. Form the dough into a disk, then wrap it tightly in plastic and refrigerate for one hour. You want the butter to be cold so the baked crust turns out flaky.
5. In a bowl, mix together all of the filling ingredients.
6. Once your dough has been refrigerated for nearly an hour, preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a large jelly roll pan (the raised edges will catch escaping juices while the galette cooks) with parchment paper.
7. Place your dough disk on a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough out into approximately a 12-inch round. You don’t want any holes or extra thin spots, though, so err on the smaller side. Place the rolled dough on your prepared baking pan.
8. Add your filling: Arrange the apple slices into a circular pattern in layers, leaving at least two inches of crust around the edges. Top it off with the pecans left at the bottom of the bowl.
9. Start at one end and fold the edge over the filling, pleating as you go around. A galette is meant to be rustic, so don’t worry if it doesn’t look perfectly uniform.
10. Use a pastry brush or sprinkle cold water over the crust. Drizzle a bit of maple syrup over the filling and sprinkle a light dusting of raw sugar over the entire galette.
11. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden. Serve warm on its own or topped with a small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.