MORNING AFTER GALA APPLE GALETTES with KERRYGOLD CHEDDAR and IRISH WHISKEY

​makes 6 individual galettes
 
Pastry Dough- (adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum)
 
1 cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup white whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
pinch cayenne pepper
4 ounces unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes (preferably Kerrygold)
1 cup (3 ounces) grated Kerrygold cheddar
3 tablespoons ice cold water + 1½ teaspoons cider vinegar
 
egg wash made from 1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water and pinch of salt
sanding sugar for sprinkling
 
Chunky Gala Apple Filling
 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3-4 Gala apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½” chunks (yields a generous 4 cups)
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons Jameson Irish Whiskey

¼ cup good quality orange marmalade to spread over the crust (you can skip this step, but  bitter orange, Whiskey, cheddar and apple deserve each other)
 
Prepare the pastry-
 
In a large bowl, combine the flours, salt, sugar and cayenne. Scatter the butter cubes over the dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with the butter in pieces about the size of peas. Add the grated cheddar to the mixture and toss to combine. Sprinkle the ice cold water/vinegar over the butter/flour mixture. Use your hands to lightly toss the mixture to incorporate the water. The dough will be shaggy and will not hold together. Gather it together, pat it into a disc and slide it into a zip-lock bag. Refrigerate it for at least half an hour; during this time it will have a chance to ‘rest’ and absorb the liquid. When ready to roll out the dough, lightly dust a sheet of parchment paper with flour. Retrieve the dough from the fridge, squeeze it together into a disc, then divide it into 6 equal portions. (They will weigh about 3 ounces each.) Roll out each piece of dough into a 6” circle, about ⅛” thick; it rolls easily if you place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the dough. Set the circles of pastry on a parchment lined baking sheet and return them to the fridge while you prepare the filling.
 
Toss the apples together with the sugars, cornstarch and cinnamon. In a heavy bottomed pan or cast iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the apples and sauté just until tender, scraping the bottom of the pan with a rubber spatula to prevent sticking. Remove from the heat, stir in the whiskey and scrape the filling into a bowl. Let the filling cool completely before assembling the galettes.

When the filling is completely cool, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Retrieve the pastry circles from the fridge. Place 2 teaspoons of orange marmalade in the center of each circle and use an offset spatula to smooth it over the dough. Place about ⅓ cup of the apple filling in the center of each circle, leaving a bit of a border. Carefully fold the dough border up and over the filling, pleating it every inch or so, leaving the center uncovered. Brush the edge of each galette with a bit of the egg wash, making sure you get under each pleat to seal it. Gently press the dough against the fruit. Brush the outside top crust with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding or granulated sugar.

Place the galettes on the parchment lined baking sheet back into the refrigerator and let them chill for at least half an hour before baking them. This helps them to hold their shape in the oven. Bake them in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until the apples test tender and the edges of the crust are golden. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving.