There’s so much to look forward to in fall — football, cozy sweaters, slow-cooked dinners and, of course, all things apple. Both of this month’s recipes celebrate the season’s most popular fruit. While apples are available in the U.S. year round, many varieties reach peak ripeness in the early fall, from late August through October.
Baked apple chips are a sweet, nutritious treat, perfect for fall, and a great way to use up extra apples. With only two ingredients, this recipe couldn’t be simpler. Pick an apple on the crisper side, like Honeycrisp, Pink Lady or Golden Delicious. The slices need to be thin for them to crisp in the oven. I like to use a mandoline for thin, uniform slices. If you don’t have a mandoline, use a sharp knife and slice as thinly as possible.
Once the apple slices come out of the oven, they will continue to crisp up after a few minutes of cooling. If you like apple chips on the crispier side, once cool, it’s best to enjoy or immediately store in an airtight container at room temperature. The longer they sit uncovered at room temperature, the more moisture they will absorb. If you prefer a chewier apple slice, let them sit at room temperature for a couple hours before storing in an airtight container.
Baked Cinnamon Apple Chips
(Makes about 2 cups)
2 small-to-medium-size crisp apples
½ to ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
Move oven racks to the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Wash and dry apples. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, cut apples into 1/16-inch-thick slices, removing seeds as necessary. Place apples on prepared baking sheets without allowing any of them to overlap; dust with cinnamon.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes on upper and lower oven racks; remove from the oven and flip apple slices over. Bake for an additional hour and 15 minutes or until edges are curled and apples look dry. Timing will vary depending on the thickness of apple slices.
Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes so they can continue to crisp up before they are enjoyed. Once cool, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
As delicious as it is beautiful, this apple galette combines both sweet and tart apples with warm cinnamon and cardamom in a tender, free-form crust. A galette (French tart made with one flat piece of dough that is wrapped around seasonal fruit filling) is an easier version of an apple pie that tastes every bit as spicy, buttery and delicious!
I used a ready-made pie crust for a shortcut, but homemade will certainly work as well. Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust, the crust I used, is sold in packs of two. You will only need one. Store the other crust in the refrigerator for future galette use!
Peeling the apples comes down to preference. The general rule is to peel. However, I prefer to keep the peel on since it adds a little texture and a pop of color.
Easy Apple Galette
(Makes 6 servings)
3 medium apples (try a combination of sweet and tart, such as Granny Smith and Fuji)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons granulated sugar; use more or less depending on sweetness of apples
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
. teaspoon ground cardamom or freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 refrigerated pie crust dough, such as Pillsbury, at room temperature
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 egg, beaten
Coarse sugar or additional granulated sugar for sprinkling
Vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream for serving, optional
Caramel syrup for serving, optional
Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Peel (if desired), halve and core apples. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place apples in a large bowl; toss with lemon juice. Stir together sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, cardamom and salt; sprinkle over apples. Toss to coat evenly.
Sprinkle a large sheet of parchment paper lightly with flour. Unroll the crust onto the parchment; dust with a little flour. With a rolling pin, roll a few times until the circle measures close to 12 inches. Brush off any excess flour and then transfer dough with parchment to a large baking sheet.
Mound the apple mixture in the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Gently fold edges of dough over the apples, pleating loosely every 4 to 6 inches. Sprinkle butter over apples. Brush the crust with egg (you won’t need all of the egg), and then sprinkle with a little coarse sugar.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and apples are tender. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Top with ice cream; drizzle with caramel syrup.
Store any leftover galette in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, place the galette on a baking sheet and warm in a 375-degree-Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes.
