By GAIL MIYASAKI
Christmas magic is silent.
You don’t hear it — you feel it.
You know it.
You believe it.
— Kevin Alan Milne
That’s the beauty of Christmas!
Ready, set, go! The clock is ticking as time becomes a bit more precious. Your goal is to pare down that to-do list with hopes of seeing a light appear near the end of the tunnel.
A real-time game changer when figuring out what to gift is to check out Amazon selections first. For family and friends lists, picking single names is a popular trend that saves time and money too.
Don’t forget to shop now for wrapping and gift bag options. With that gift card in hand, place it in a cool gift bag filled with bright tissue paper, tie and tag it! Or why not trick the receiver? Place that small gift card in an oversized, weighted box stuffed with tissue paper. Wrap up with a festive holiday paper, then finish with ribbon that is intertwined with a special ornament or a big, tempting peppermint candy cane.
Almost there . . . breathe in, breathe out. Tell Alexa to get you into the festive mode as you sing along with your favorite Christmas songs.
What’s cooking in your kitchen? We’ve become a potpourri of interesting flavors as family and friends bring foods that they love to eat. A charcuterie selection with a glass of wine joyfully welcomes the holiday gathering. Always a fave is the turkey, mash, sage stuffing with gravy combo. Sweet or spicy jalapeno tamales with hot sauce nestle next to colorful cooked veggies, sesame and shoyu-enhanced somen salad, tangy sunomono, and fresh strawberries. A cup of warm, golden lump crab stew is an option too.
Taking center stage is the traditional Christmas turkey, roast, or ham and with all those special fixings that families and friends look forward to all year long. Sweet goodies and pastries complete the enjoyment on this holiday!
Try this holiday challenge and surprise your guests with an oozy, bubbly rustic apple galette! It’s made using frozen puff pastry. Simply known as feuilletage in French, think of this as a delicate and rich laminated pastry that consists of many alternating layers of flour, water and butter, that results in a flaky, tender crust.
Replacing that recipe for pie crust made from scratch is a no-brainer. Dufour Pastry Kitchen Pull Pastry is available in the frozen food section at Whole Foods and Von’s. A free form crust is such a welcome joy! That said, know that uneven imperfections are OK. No two will look alike.
Enjoy the lovely cinnamon-butter aromas that will fill your house with the spirit of the holidays. Pair your rustic galette with French vanilla ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream.
RUSTIC APPLE GALETTE
SERVINGS: 8
FILLING
3 large Granny Smith apples (about 1.75 lbs), peeled, cored, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 egg, whisked, plus ½ teaspoon water for egg wash
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
1. To prepare frozen puff pastry, follow thawing directions on puff pastry box.
2. When crust is ready, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. On a large cutting board, place parchment paper on it to cover then lightly flour completely. Place puff pastry on it. Roll to about a 14″ off-kilter semi-circle, about 1/8″ thick.
4. Transfer parchment paper with circular puff pastry on it to a baking sheet.
5. In a large bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt, vanilla and lemon, stirring until combined; add apple slices to coat.
6. Start to place apples on top of puff pastry about 2 inches from edges, overlapping slices by 2/3, leaving about one inch of pastry exposed all around. Edges and apple placement will be uneven. With your fingertips, continue to fold and gently crimp remaining puff pastry working your way around at various intervals.
7. Brush exposed crust with egg wash, then sprinkle turbinado sugar all around dough and on slices.
8. Total baking time is about 40-45 minutes, depending on your oven temp. First bake for 15 minutes, rotating at least once for even baking. When the pleats of dough are puffed up and carmelized to a golden brown, it’s done!
9. Remove from oven and slide pie on parchment onto a rack to cool.
10. When cool enough to handle, transfer to a serving plate or cutting board.