Don’t let the name “chipotle” intimidate you. A chipotle pepper is a common jalapeño that has been smoke dried. Its flavor is amazingly complex, smoky, earthy and usually only packs a moderate amount of heat.
The complex flavors of these peppers make them adaptable to so many dishes from savory to sweet. The Mayan and Aztec cultures have combined them with chocolate for centuries. I add a tiny bit to the chocolate frosting of cakes, brownies, fudge and chocolate cookies. Chipotle also goes amazingly well with apples. In this recipe, I use chipotles in adobo, a sauce of pureed tomatoes, vinegar and garlic, and you can find this sold in cans at most supermarkets in the Mexican food aisle.
I have been caramelizing apples with sugar, cinnamon, and chipotles for some time now to use as a condiment alongside pork chops, pork tenderloin and pulled pork.
So placing the sweet-hot-cinnamony apples center stage in a rustic tart seems like the perfectly natural thing to do, especially when it’s all sitting under a healthy scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s a great combination — trust me. Just give it a try.
Chipotle-glazed apple galette
Pie dough ingredients (makes enough for 2 galettes)
- ½ cup chilled Crisco, cut into 4 equal pieces
- 12 tablespoons of cold, unsalted butter, cut into small slices about ¼ inch
- 2½ cups or 12½ ounces of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup ice water
- ¼ cup very cold vodka*
* We keep our vodka in the freezer and it’s always icy cold.
Pie dough directions
After dividing the Crisco and slicing the butter, place them on a sheet of wax or parchment paper and freeze for a few minutes to thoroughly chill.
Whiz 1½ cups of the flour, the salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor to combine. Add the chilled Crisco and butter and process for about 15 seconds until it becomes homogenous. It should look a bit like cottage cheese. Scrape down the bowl, add the remaining cup of flour and process for 4-6 quick pulses.
Empty dough into a bowl and sprinkle the water and vodka over all. Using a rubber spatula, combine all using a folding motion (I use a pastry cutter until blended). Divide the dough into two equal balls and flatten into 4-inch disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 45 minutes or up to two days. Using plenty of flour, roll out chilled dough to desired size. This dough is moister and more supple than most and will require more flour to roll out.
Unused pie dough can be frozen for up to two months.
Filling ingredients
- ½ cup of granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons of cinnamon
- 4 medium red delicious apples, peeled, cored and sliced
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon of Demerara sugar for sprinkling over the galette
- 2 teaspoons chipotle chiles with adobo sauce, finely minced (more or less to taste). Chipotle chiles in adobo can be quite hot. The main source of the heat is in the seeds, so if you can eliminate them the heat will be milder. Using only the adobo sauce will render the mildest and most balanced flavor.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Toss the apple slices to coat. Melt the butter in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chipotles, stir to mix. Add the apple slices with the sugar cinnamon mixture that clings to them. Stir all until the apple slices are coated with the chipotles and butter. Toss and stir constantly until they begin to lightly caramelize.
Carefully position the rolled-out dough on a baking sheet. Remove the apple mixture from heat, cool slightly then add to the center of the dough, leaving about 3 inches of dough uncovered at the edges. Carefully fold the edges of the dough over the outer edge of the apples and sprinkle with the Demerara sugar. Bake 30–35 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and crisp.