I am visiting my grandma for the holidays and mentioned to her that I was going to make an apple galette. While I was telling her about it, she began to reminisce about how apple pies in the mid-west are served with a nice piece of cheese. So for her I created an extra sharp cheddar crumble topping which turned out better than I had anticipated. You know how when you cook or bake something with cheese, there’s that bit that melts out and gets nice crispy? You know how that crispy cheese tastes so good? This topping is exactly that… a crispy layer of sharp cheddar cheese.
The rosemary in the crust, apples, and topping works beautifully to compliment the apples and cheese. Don’t worry about it being overwhelming, it lends a wonderful perfume and background note to the galette creating the perfect sweet and savory finish to any meal… and the leftovers are exactly what you need with your morning coffee!
Cook’s Note: I used pre-made pie dough in this recipe for a couple reasons – convenience being number one, but also because it holds it’s shape on the grill. You may certainly use your favorite dough recipe just be sure to chill it well before going to the grill.
Also, if your grill is already put away this recipe is easily adapted to a conventional oven.
- ⅓ cup flour
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoon cold butter, cut into small pieces
- ¾ cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
- 1½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary (do not substitute dried), divided use
- 1 box refrigerated 2-crust pie dough or your favorite recipe
- 1½ pounds apples, peeled and sliced ¼-nch thick
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon milk
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and butter and work together with a fork until it resembles coarse sand. Add the cheeses and ½ teaspoon of the rosemary; toss to thoroughly combine. Set aside.
- Unroll both pie crusts. Place one crust on a piece of kitchen parchment then sprinkle with a little water and ½ teaspoon of rosemary. Lay the second pie crust on top and roll dough together to a 14-inch diameter. Transfer to a baking sheet. Leaving a 1-inch border, arrange apple slices in a concentric circles over the dough. Fold and crimp the dough over the edges of the fruit. Combine the sugar, lemon zest, and final ½ teaspoon of rosemary. Brush the pie crust with the milk and sprinkle the sugar mixture of the apples and a little on the crust. Sprinkle the cheddar mixture evenly over the apple an set galette aside in the refrigerator for an hour.
- Set up grill for indirect heat with medium high heat; stabilize the heat at 375°F to 400°F. Place galette on grill (not over the heat), close grill cover and cook for about 45 minutes to an hour or until golden brown.
Cheers and Happy Grilling!
~Jeff
