Apple and Mincemeat Frangipane Gallette - it's a goodie :))

Oh my this is a good one - it has a lovely crisp sour cream pastry shell and I did the filling two ways - as above with mincemeat - fresh, vegetarian mincemeat - frangipane and apples and also the next day, because I liked it so much I tried it with just the mincemeat and apples and added a sticky toffee sauce - I can't possible decide which I preferred so you might consider making both too - you could split the pastry amount given here in half and make two decent sized gallettes - that's how I did it.

A day or two ahead of actually making the gallette(s) you want to make the fresh mincemeat so it has time to meld and marry those lovely flavours - here's a wonderful one from David Lebovitz:

I am calling this ‘fresh’ mincemeat, meaning you don’t have to wait months for it to be ready as with your ordinary or garden variety mincemeat. This recipe is ready after one day and better after three - also this is a vegetarian variety so no shredding of suet which can be a little off putting to say the very least!!

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup (135g) coarsely chopped raisins, dark or golden
½ cup candied peel…orange or lemon or both
¼ cup brandy but I have used used whiskey or red wine and I think you could safely use apple juice or orange juice if you don't want the alcohol.
2 teaspoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons sugar…again dark or light
1 teaspoon of cardomom
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
½ teaspoon of mace
(I differed my spices from David’s recipe which called for ½ teaspoon each ground cinnamon and nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon of cloves…I am not a fan of cloves as a flavouring and I think cardamom works really well with the lemon flavour)
1 grated crunchy apple…I use Pink Lady which is a big fave of mine.

This is really hard…mix everything together and put it in a jar. Allow to stand for one to three days, don‘t put in the fridge, the flavours marry better at room temp. This mincemeat is meant to be used quickly.

Now your mincemeat is ready on with move with the gallette!! Wee heeeee.....

Sour Cream Pastry - this is GOOD!!!! 

6oz/175g plain white flour

3oz/ 80g cold butter

7 tablespoons/1/3 cup sour cream 

2 tablespoon sugar

1. Mix the flour and sugar together.

2. Grate the cold butter into the flour and blend until you get nice even 'breadcrumbs' - if you are using a food processor pulse to get your nice breadcrumbs.

3. Put sour cream into the mix and blend until nice and smooth and pulled together - but don't overwork and allow the pastry to warm up - keep it nice and cold.

4. Bob the pastry into the fridge for at least an hour during which time make the filling(s).

Now the gallette fillings:

Frangipane Deliciousness:

2oz/50g butter softened

2oz/50g sugar

4oz/110g almonds toasted and cooled, then ground til fine in - I find best - a coffee grinder

2 medium eggs whisked

1/2 teaspoon almond essence/extract - if you can get Simply Organic - it's fantastic!!

1. Cream butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy .

2. Blend eggs into creamed butter and sugar until relatively smooth - it won't be that smooth by hand but maybe more so by food processor.

3. Blend in the ground almonds and almond essence/extract

YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

 

Apples: 2 good sized apples - preferably dessert apples - sweet and crisp - slice evenly as you can and put into a bowl of cold water with a bit of lemon juice or vinegar to keep the apples from going brown. 

PUT YOUR GALLETTE TOGETHER:

1.Take the pastry from the fridge and roll out to a circle about 11" diameter - lift onto a baking sheet. Pick the pastry all over with a fork.

2. Dollop that lovely mincemeat into the centre of the pastry circle and smooth out to within a couple of inches of the edge as below:

 3. Now dollop the frangipane on top of the mincemeat and smooth out as below:

4. Arrange the apple slices as you wish - I tried to do a pretty circlet but got a bit messed up when trying to finish the circle - still it looked pretty good before it was cooked - just FYI I have made a few of these free form open rustic tarts and no matter how neat and tidy they go into the oven or how cold I get them before baking they never look the same when they come out - they become lobsided, uneven and sometimes runny because a little hole opens up in the pastry where you folded it - do not despair it will still be a thing of beauty to behold and after all it does for sure make it look homemade :)).
5. Fold the pastry up and over the filling as below and pinch together every couple of inches or so for it to hold together when baking.

5. Pop the whole thing back into the fridge for 1/2 hour during which time heat up the oven to 425F.

6. After half an hour bob the gallette into the oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes until nice and evenly golden delicious delightful brown.

7. In the last 10 minutes of cooking warm a few tablespoons of apricot jam in a saucepan and keep warm until you take the gallette out of the oven.

7. As soon as you take it out of the oven spread the apricot jam all over the surface for a nice tang and bright shiny tart :)

ALTERNATE and just as GOOD GALLETTE with just mincemeat, shredded apples and toffee sauce.

The only changes you need to make:

1. Don't make the frangipane.

2. Shred the apples instead of slicing them.

3. Put apples on top of the mincemeat in the gallette.

4. Everything else is the same EXCEPT in the last 10 minutes of baking make this fantastic toffee sauce - which you can use on anything and everything you ever want - it is from a sticky toffee pudding recipe:

Sticky Toffee Topping:
2 1/2oz brown sugar...oops didn't figure that one out, I suppose a bit more than 1/4 cup
1 1/2 oz butter
2 tablespoons cream or half and half

1. Heat sugar, cream and butter together in a small pan until sugar has dissolved - let bubble gently for a couple of mintes - pour over gallette.

These are both SOOOOOO good - as I said before you can do one big one of EITHER recipe with the amount listed or two small different ones. Either way:

HAPPY BAKING - let me know how it goes and do post pics on my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/PatriciaSheaDesigns

Eat the gallettes hot, warm or cold with cream or custard or ice cream - whichever way you choose you will be delighted :))

Mince pies with hairdo's or...Mince Pies Royale!

And here I am again sitting by the wood stove humming away with all the pups and kitten getting toasty by the fire, the wind howling and the snow flying writing up my Christmas treat! I have already eaten about 7 of these delights and am ready to eat more....and so goes the Holidays!!!

The recipe is a combination of 3 parts...instant mincemeat a la David Lebovitz , pastry a la Martha and hairdo a la "Christmas Feasts from History" by Lorna J Sass....and off we jolly well!!

INSTANT, VEGETARIAN, 'FRESH' MINCEMEAT...should be made at least one day in advance for flavours to meld. I am calling this ‘fresh’ mincemeat, meaning you don’t have to wait months for it to be ready as with your ordinary or garden variety mincemeat. This recipe is ready after one day and better after three…so make it today and Bob’s your uncle for Friday!! Also this is a vegetarian variety so no shredding of suet which can be a little off putting to say the very least!!

Ingredients:
1 cup (135g) coarsely chopped raisins, dark or golden

½ cup candied peel…orange or lemon or both

¼ cup brandy but I used whiskey as that is all I had in the house and it tasted just fine!!

2 teaspoons lemon juice
 
4 tablespoons sugar…again dark or light

1 teaspoon of cardomom
 
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
 
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
 
½ teaspoon of mace
(I differed my spices from David’s recipe which called for ½ teaspoon each ground cinnamon and nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon of cloves…I am not a fan of cloves as a flavouring and I think cardamom works really well with the lemon flavour)

1 grated crunchy apple…I use Pink Lady which is a big fave of mine.

This is really hard…mix everything together and put it in a jar. Allow to stand for one to three days, don‘t put in the fridge, the flavours marry better at room temp. This mincemeat is meant to be used quickly.
That’s it for the mincemeat!!!...now for the pastry, it's the same one I always use from Martha which works like a charm, stays crispy under duress and has a lovely meltiness.

PASTRY INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 cups of white flour

 2 tablespoons sugar
1 stick (4ozs) butter I always use salted, VERY cold

1/8 to 1/4 cup ice cold water
METHOD:
1. Sift the flour

2. Grate the butter into the flour.

3. Gently work butter into flour until it resembles coarse meal.

4. Add some of the water and test to see if it comes together, if not keep adding water until the dough will squush into a non-sticky ball.

5. Put into the fridge to rest for at least one hour.

6. Take the pastry out of the fridge, allow to warm little, roll out nice and thin, then line 6 muffin tins with a round of pastry each, I had pastry left over so I just keep going 'til I ran out...made some cute smaller versions.

Next make the hairdo goo:
MERINGUE INGREDIENTS:
3 egg whites at room temperature

4 tablespoons sugar

MERINGUE METHOD:
1. Whisk egg whites until fluffy and stiff

2. Add sugar one tablespoon at a time until stiff and glossy

To ASSEMBLE the pies:
1lb (454g) of ‘fresh’ mincemeat, that should be the amount you made

¼ cup (2oz, 56g) of clarified butter (melt butter and skim off white solids that float to the top)

3 egg yolks

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. In a bowl combine the mincemeat with the 3 egg yolks and clarified butter, mix well.

3. Spoon into the prepared pastry shells.

4. Bake for about 20 mins. until the pastry starts to golden slightly.

5. Remove from oven and pipe prepared meringue onto pies.

6. Bake again for another 20-25 minutes until meringues are nicely browned.

7. Allow to cool before eating, these pies taste best at room temperature. They are neither too sweet nor too tart, they are certainly nothing like as cloying or toothachingly sweet as mass produced ones and with the 'fresh' mincemeat they have a nice brightness that I really enjoy.

HAPPY BAKING!!!!!!!!!!!