Caramel topped Apple Gallette with a Butter Cookie Crust

Yesterday was a very satisfying day. I wasn't idle at all, physically, emotionally or spitirually. At about 10 am I was baking an Apple Gallette with a Butter Cookie crust drizzled with Caramel Sauce. Yes you read that right, I was baking on a Sunday morning. How did I go from reading the Sunday paper to baking you ask? Great question. I knew that I was to attend a pot-luck with some friends I had not seen or spoken to in awhile. I also knew that I had not been to the grocery store and that I didn't want to go to the grocery store so I rummaged through my fridge, my cookbooks and my cabinets to see what I could come up with. Well I finally settled on a recipe for a Blueberry Streusal Gallette. I changed the recipe to include apples (its what I had on hand) and no streusal topping (I didn't have any rolled oats or oatmeal packets). As I started mixing, and sifting and creaming, Alexander (my almost 3 year old) rattled off a barrage of questions: What are you doing? What's that? Why you cutting apples? Can I have an apple? What are you doing? The original plan was to make a quick caramel sauce with the standard sugar, water, and heavy cream but of course I didn't have heavy cream and no, I still was not going to go to the grocery store, so I settled for the jarred caramel ice cream topping we all have in our pantry.








So you start out by making a simple butter cookie recipe (see below for recipe) and refridgerated the dough. ment.



I then cut my 5 apples (that's all I had), put some reconstituted lemon juice on them so they wouldn't turn brown. You know, the handy dandy little lemon juice that comes in the plastic lemon container from your produce section. This is where I debated putting cinnamon and nutmeg on my apples like when you make an apple pie. I decided against it as I didn't want the spices to overpower the caramel sauce since I was kind of going for a caramel apple flavor.


I used half of what I made and froze the other half. After 45 minutes I then retrieved my butter cookie dough, and rolled it out on my new silicone baking mat



I sprikled my apples with 2 TBS. of sugar and placed on the butter cookie crust, folded the sides over but left the middle uncovered. This is a classic step in making a Gallette. (this is according to the recipe I altered as this was the first time I have made one) I threw it in the oven and hoped for the best. NOTE TO SELF: Do not take a shower and ask your oldest to keep an eye on your Gallette. Okay, so when it came out of the oven I was a little disappointed to say the least. the edges were overly browned and how the heck was I going to get this thing onto a serving dish in one piece, the cookie crust was already starting to crack because of its extended oven stay.



Well instead of keeping it in one piece, I pre-cut the dessert in bar-like pieces. I would drizzle with caramel sauce when I got to where I was going. Could I just say, the flavor of the butter cookie, which is one of my favorites, could not have been better. It was flaky, and buttery and for the most part the right consistency. Where the apples and the crust meet was like an apple party in your mouth. Subtle but you still knew it was there. I thought it worked on so many levels and I was proud to say I tried this recipe, and made it my own. Most importantly, my friends said they thought it was great. That's all you need to feel a new recipe has been a success, glowing reviews. That was a fun "Slap The Bull" moment.


Butter Cookies (From Williams-Sonoma Desserts)

3 cups all-pupose flour
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 TBS pure vanilla extract

Sift together the all-purpose and cake flours and salt into a bowl. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, beat together the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the flour mixture and mix just until a moist dough forms. form the doug into disks and wrap separately in lastic wrap. Chill 1 disk until firm.

Caramel topped Apple Gallete with Butter Cookie Crust (adjusted from Williams-Sonoma Desserts Blueberry Streusel Galette)

Butter Cookie Dough
5 apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 TBS granulated sugar

Roll out the dough onto a rimmed baking sheet with either a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Prepare the apples. Slice apples into medium-sized pieces and sprinkle with lemon juice so they won't turn brown. Add 2 TBS granulated sugar to apples. Transfer to your butter cookie crust. Fold crust over apples loosely leaving the center open. Bake for 40 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Let cool on the pan. Cut into bar-like pieces and drizzle with store-bought caramel ice cream topping. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

An unusual cinematic experience

Yesterday I was tired so while my mom took Alexander to the Science Center I decided to look at a movie on HBO. I didn't want to watch just any movie. I wanted to watch something that I normally would not get to see (for a myriad of reasons.) As I was searching I came across "Brokeback Mountain." Now I know everyone remembers the tremendous hype surrounding this movie. At the time it came out I did not want to see it. Not for the reason you might guess but because it was over-reviewed (everyone and their mama had an opinion on it whether they saw it or not), over-hyped, and the stars were literally inundated with questions about certain scenes in the movie. Well, I had made a conscience effort to not view this movie. Hey, it took me 12 years just to watch "Titanic" and I was so very very disappointed. Anyway, I sat down, actually, I layed down and watched it, uninterrupted for 2 hours and 10 mins. The scenery in the movie was breathtaking. The cinematography was like candy for your eyes, so very sweet. The story took place in Wyoming although I'm not sure that is where they shot it. I was mesmerized by Jake Gyllenhalls performance. He was very good playing the role of an emotionally distraught cowboy. Heath Ledger, who I had always liked, was equally as good, although his role was tougher to play. He played a cowboy emotionally dead because of something that happened in his childhood. I think I was surprised at how I enjoyed this story, at how I started to care about these characters. Ang Lee, the director, did a fantastic job of putting his vision for these characters to film. I must say WOW! Now let me also say I went into this movie knowing it was just that, a movie, entertainment so I don't want to get into anything biblical or moral or the like. I treated this movie like a book. As a matter of fact this movie was based on a short story. The bigger picture is that I tried something new and once again made a conscience effort to "Slap The Bull."

First order of business

Okay, I have not let any grass grow under my feet in my quest to "Slap The Bull." I just registered for a few classes that piqued my interest. I am starting small but I'm sure they will have a big impact on my future. I enrolled in a Vegetable Gardening how-to class through the city of Chandler Environmental Education Center. For the past 2 years I've told myself that I really wanted to start a garden with no action taken on my part. Well I have done some early on-line research and I'm ready for some hands-on know-how from some experts. The end of September is the winter planting season and this class is on 9/9 so I'm cutting it close. How satisfying will it be to pick vegetables from my own yard? If you have a garden and have some pointers, please post them below, I would love to hear them. Or, if you have thought about gardening and haven't taken the plunge, register and take the class with me. It was only $14 and it is open to non-Chandler residents. So I said I registered for a few classes. Heres the skinny on the other two: they are paper craft classes taught at Tumbleweed Rec center. I am excited about these classes because being creative in one area of your life seems to always spill over into other areas of your life. That has been my experience anyway. Imagine making your own greeting cards! I get all tingly inside just thinking about it and you should see the smile on my face as I type this. I think I'm on the right track. Starting a garden, which I have NEVER attempted before and feeding my creative side. I think I'm off to a great start. Be sure to check back on the progress of my garden. If you are interested in the classes mentioned above visit the city of Chandler website at http://www.chandleraz.gov/ and look for the leisure and lifestyle tab at the top. "Slap The Bull," everyone "Slap The Bull."

The first day of the rest of my life

I have entered the blogoshere and I am truly excited about it! What's up with the title of your blog you ask? "Slap The Bull" is a saying I heard that means Don't let fear overtake your life. Now fearful is not an adjective I would use to describe myself, but as a stay-at-home mom for the past 5 years I have definitely let myself get into a routine of the familiar. And let me tell you what happens when you "think" you are not moving forward, learning anything new, or putting your own dreams on hold. You become a complainer. You snap at everyone. Everyone else is the problem. There grows a knot of envy in your stomach because you know you aren't living up to the expectations you set out for yourself. As I write that it sounds so selfish. But these are real human emotions and I know I am not the only mom that has every felt this way. I certainly don't like this about myself so I had to look at the hard truth and say...What is wrong with you? You have this resentment built up but why? You are married to a wonderful man, You have great kids but hell after 5 years at home you are bored. You are not personally fulfilled. You are going through life aimlessly, with no real life goals set for yourself. What would make YOU happy? How can YOU make YOUR life a little more exciting and stop waiting for someone else to make you happy? What steps are you going to take to change YOUR attitude. Well after much thought, I have challenged myself to three things 1) Simply try something new. 2) Stop complaining. No one is in charge of your happiness but you and 3) Live "in the moment". In the words of Jill Scott "Start living my life like its Golden." Or as I like to say Slap The Bull! So come on this journey with me as I take control of MY life, MY attitude and MY happiness.