Honeycrisp Apple Galette with Peel-and-Core Syrup

A butter-laden pastry rectangle topped with overlapping thin slices of Honeycrisp apple makes a dessert that feels special enough for a party yet keeps a homely, handmade look. The scraps usually tossed aside — apple peels and cores — are simmered into a concentrated syrup that gets brushed over the baked tart, reinforcing the fruit flavor and cutting down on waste. A spoonful of crème fraiche alongside adds a tangy contrast.

Info

• Cook time: 45 minutes
• Time from start to finish: 4 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup crème fraiche, plus extra for serving
• 4 Honeycrisp apples

Instructions

1. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, baking powder, salt and 2 tablespoons of the sugar until blended. Drop in the butter and run the machine until the pieces are roughly pea-sized. In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk the cream and crème fraiche until smooth. Take off the processor lid and pour in the cream mixture — do not use the feed tube. Replace the lid and pulse just until a dough forms. Scrape the dough onto plastic wrap, press it into a 12-by-8-inch rectangle and seal tightly. Chill it in the refrigerator for no less than 2 hours, or up to a full night.
2. Set an oven rack in the center position and heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
3. Cut two sheets of parchment to the size of a baking sheet. Lay the dough between them and roll it out to a 12-by-18-inch rectangle. Put it in the freezer to firm up, roughly 20 minutes.
4. While that chills, peel the apples and keep the peels. Cut the cheeks away from each apple and set them aside, reserving the cores. Halve the cores and put them in a medium pot with the peels, 1 cup of the sugar and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a vigorous simmer; press the cores with a wooden spoon or potato masher to break them up as they soften. Cook until the liquid has cooked down to about 1/2 cup, about 30 minutes. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl, pressing the solids with a wooden spoon to release all the liquid. Keep the liquid and compost or discard the solids.
5. In the meantime, slice the apple cheeks 1/4 inch thick. Move the dough, still on its parchment, onto a rimmed baking sheet and lift off the top sheet of parchment. Arrange the apple slices in overlapping rows — four rows running the length of the dough — and leave a 1/2-inch border of bare dough around the edges. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over the apples and the border. Bake until the edges of the dough are lightly golden, about 45 minutes.
6. Spoon half of the apple syrup over the apples and put the tart back in the oven until the dough turns deep golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Set it on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.
7. Spoon the rest of the apple syrup over the tart. Serve it warm or at room temperature, with a dollop of crème fraiche.

Notes

To measure the flour, spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the top. Scooping straight from the bag packs the flour down, which can make baked goods turn out dry.