Mincemeat Galette

Festive mincemeat in a delicate flaky free form dessert that has all the seasonal taste of its traditional counterpart. With the addition of a shortbread crumble topping brings two holiday traditions, mincemeat and shortbread together, in one festive treat. Yuletide scrumptiousness in every blissful slice. 

  

Mincemeat Galette

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Pie Crust:

1 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup light olive oil

3 tablespoons cold water

1 tablespoon white vinegar

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the olive oil and blend together with a fork until the mixture resembles an oatmeal texture. Sprinkle in the cold water and vinegar and mix together to form a soft dough. You may have to add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if you find the dough some what dry, you want a soft but not sticky dough. Gather the dough and press into a ball. Roll out between sheets of wax paper. Invert the rolled dough onto a parchment lined baking tray and gently remove the wax paper.   

Notes: you may use a ready made pie crust, if you wish, just follow package instructions. 

Shortbread Crumble:

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1 1/2 cups flour 

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) butter, melted

2 teaspoons almond extract

In a large bowl combine the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, sugar, butter and almond extract. Beat with an electric mixer at low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, or alternately blend with wooden spoon or fork, until the mixture is crumbly. 

Notes: you may add grated orange or lemon rind to the crumble mixture for added flavour. 

Mincemeat Filling: Either make your favourite mincemeat filling or use a ready made mincemeat filling, which is what I do, to save time. This year, I used Marks & Spencers Brandy & Clementine Mincemeat although Robertson's Mincemeat is my go to mincemeat filling. Both are vegetarian and suitable for vegans.   

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a baking tray with parchment paper if using wax paper to roll the pie pastry out. 

Make the Pie Crust (see above recipe): Roll the pastry between pieces of wax paper or you can roll between pieces of parchment paper. If using parchment paper gently glide the rolled pie pastry with the parchment paper underneath onto a baking tray and trim the edges of the parchment paper to fit the baking tray.  

Spread 510 grams (2 1/2 cups) of mincemeat filling over the rolled out pastry, leaving about a 1 - inch gap around the edges. Carefully fold the sides inward to form an edge. Overlapping is fine.

Make an egg wash: mix 1 egg beaten with a tablespoon of water. Using a pastry brush, brush the folded edges with the egg wash. 

Make the Shortbread Crumble (see above recipe): Sprinkle the Shortbread Crumble generously over top. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the crumble is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and while warm, sprinkle with vanilla caster sugar. Allow to cool on the baking tray. Lightly dust with icing sugar before serving. If you do not add grated orange or lemon rind to the crumble mixture you may grate some over top before serving or place pieces of candied orange peel on top will also do nicely too.  

Leftovers #54 ~ Roasted Vegetable Galette

 

Leftover roasted vegetables can be reheated, mashed and reimagined. This, by far is the yummiest use of leftover vegetables and makes eating them more desirable and comforting... well I think anyway. The only thing I added was some spinach.  

I first sautéed the spinach with a few crushed garlic cloves for a few minutes then added the leftover roasted vegetables to the frypan which consisted of yams, potatoes, parsnips and carrots, sautéed to incorporate with the spinach and heat through, added a few dashes of balsamic vinegar and about a teaspoon or two of summer savoury. Once heated, I removed the frypan from the heat and set aside.

Rolled out the ready made puff pastry, according to package directions, on a sheet of baking parchment paper, spoon the vegetable filling into the centre of puff pastry and spread it outwards towards the edges, folded over the sides, brushed the sides with an egg wash then randomly placed thin slices of red onion on top. Carefully popped it on a baking tray, with the baking parchment paper, and into a preheated 375ºF oven until the edges have puffed up and become nicely golden. This went over incredibly well and can be served many ways, on its own, with soup or a salad. Depends on how hungry you are, really. I found it quite filling as is.   

A new year is about to turn and with that we bittersweetly say goodbye to 2020. Whatever or however New Year celebrations are this year, I hope there will be some comfort and happiness as possible; leaving behind such a tumultuous year as this, one can only hope. Peace and Happy New Year, everyone! - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Blueberry Apple Galette

Two galettes are better than one! Perfect for a sharing and perfect as a dessert to top of a delicious Sunday roast. This easy French dessert is an effortless way to use up lingering fruit and add some comfort on a cool Autumn evening. 

- JD  

Apple Almond Galette

This is a free form tart. The more rustic and less uniformed the better. The addition of the almond paste makes for a more filling galette with endless options for fruit.  

Apple Almond Galette

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4 cups apples, cored and sliced

1/3 cup caster sugar (white sugar)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup almond meal

1/2 cup icing sugar (confectioners sugar)

1 egg

pie crust, make your favourite recipe and use that or use a ready-made pie crust or ready-made puff pastry.

egg wash

1 teaspoon vanilla sugar 

Pre-heat oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Cover a flat surface wit baking parchment paper

Make your favourite pie crust recipe or if you are using a ready-made one; roll it out, on the flat surface that is covered with baking parchment paper. Transfer rolled pie crust with baking parchment paper underneath on to the baking tray. Trim any excess paper from around the edges of the baking tray. Set aside.

In a large bowl gently toss the apple slices, caster sugar and ground cinnamon together. 

In another bowl mix together the almond meal, icing sugar and egg, until a paste forms.

Spread the almond paste in the centre of the pie crust, leaving about 1/2 inch around the edges. Place the sugared apple slices over the almond paste. Fold the bare 1/2 inch of crust inward over the apples and almond paste; leaving the centre of the tart uncovered. Crimp down the edges with a fork as you go around the tart, if you wish. 

Make the egg wash, 1 egg white beaten with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush over the edges of the tart and sprinkle with vanilla sugar. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 40 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Notes: to make the spreading of the almond paste easier you may want to use a wet knife or spatula.