Prior to my trip back home to Calgary to visit my family, I received an abundance of apples in my grocery basket…one too many than I usually do. I thought to myself, when life gives you lemons you make lemonade therefore similarly when life gives you apples, you make apple pie and so I did (with a twist of course!).

For a little over a year I have been a loyal customer to Mama Earth Organics. They are a local organic food delivery company that delivers the freshest organic produce right to your doorstep. Now you’re probably thinking… “Why does one need to get their groceries delivered?” Well, living in a neighborhood with no grocery store in sight, this became a hassle-free alternative to not having to lug around my grocery bags on the streetcar every week. With a fixed weekly fee, I’m able to budget my grocery spending for the week. For the weeks I don’t want the box delivered, I can skip a week anytime. The convenience is ideal for someone who is always on the go like me!

Apple pie and I go way back to my childhood. Every milestone back home in Calgary has been attached to a slice of apple pie. It all began with the Food Network and Ina Garten’s show: Barefoot Contessa where she put together her signature rustic Apple Crostata recipe. After seeing how simple it was to create that recipe, at the age of 12 I pulled out all the ingredients from our pantry and began baking. The rest is history. Every special occasion or a casual Sunday, you would catch my sister and I baking an Apple Crostata together. 

For someone who has always been passionate about cooking, I’m not much of a baker. Unlike cooking, you can’t mask your mistakes. Also, you need a great ordeal of patience in the kitchen while baking and unfortunately I have none of that either! So when I come across a recipe that is full proof, I stick by it for years to come. Since then, I’ve been baking variations of this Apple Crostata recipe since and will always continue to do so.  

One of my go-to spices in the kitchen other than cumin is cardamom and there was no doubt I was going to find a way to incorporate it into this week’s variation of the classic rustic Apple Crostata. Rather than going the traditional route of making one big Apple Crostata, I opted to make individual apple galettes instead because everything is so much cuter as an individual dessert. Don’t you agree?

This time around, I was feeling a little more adventurous than usual in the kitchen so I couldn’t just stop at a simple galette, I had to whip up a caramel sauce to go on top. Not just any caramel sauce but a Cardamom-Whisky caramel sauce with my current go-to bottle of whisky: Lot 40. From start to finish, beginning with fruity plum followed by cinnamon, clove, and a hint of smoky black cardamom this bottle of whisky sips beautifully and was the perfect accompaniment to my caramel sauce. 

So gather your ingredients and let's begin! 

Apple Galettes with Cardamom Whisky Caramel Sauce 

Ingredients

Pie Crust

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 tablespoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, very cold

• 1/4 cup ice-cold water

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• 1 tablespoon water

• 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

Apple Filling

• 2 large apples (I used honey crisp), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

• 3 tablespoons very cold butter

Optional: Maple goat cheese and Rosemary 

Cardamom Whisky Caramel Sauce ( makes about 1 cup )

• 1 cup sugar

• 3 tablespoons water

• 3/4 cup heavy cream

• 3 tablespoons Lot 40 whisky

• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground cardamom

The Payoff

Pie Dough

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Dice the butter into 1/2-inch pieces and scatter over the flour. Using a pastry blender or 2 forks, work the butter into the flour until the butter is about the size of small peas.

2. Drizzle the ice cold water over the flour mixture, and using a spatula gently stir it together until most of it has come together. Knead the dough and gather all the loose bits, working as quickly as possible to keep it cold. Press the dough into a round disk, wrap once tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Assembly

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the apples, sugar, cinnamon, corn starch, and lemon juice. Toss to combine.

3. Divide the refrigerated dough into 4 equal pieces, and on a lightly floured work surface roll each piece into a circle about 1/8-inch thick. Divide the apple mixture among the 4 rounds, and place in the centre of the crust, leaving a 1-inch border around the sides. Gently lift the galette border over the apples, and overlap the dough where necessary and gently pinch to keep the folds together.

4. In a small bowl, mix together the egg and water. Lightly brush the egg wash on the edge of the dough, and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.

5. Bake the galettes for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and apples are tender. Cool on baking sheet on a wire rack. Serve warm drizzled with cardamom whisky caramel sauce, maple goat cheese and sprigs of rosemary. (I find the goat cheese really adds depth in flavour to the galettes!)

Cardamom Whisky Caramel Sauce

1. In a large heavy bottomed sauce pan, combine the sugar and water. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat without mixing. Once the edge start to brown, occasionally swirl the pan. Continue to cook the sugar mixture until it is a deep amber colour. About 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Remove from the heat and add the heavy cream while whisking constantly. The mixture will bubble vigorously! Whisk in the whisky and the cardamom. Transfer to a container with a lid, and cool completely uncovered.

Bon Appétit.