Apple Galette

You guys have been very patient with me, if you're even still out there, that is. I realize that my blogging has been inconsistent at best (practically non-existent at worst) and you may have already given up on me, drifted off and pledged loyalty to some other blog...one perhaps with, dare I say it, daily posts (how do they do it?!). All I can do at the moment is humbly hang my head, offer a sincere apology, and a recipe for quite possibly the simplest, best tasting apple galette I've ever tasted. 
A galette is a fancy-pants French word for a free form tart; a pie without a pan; Lisa's current obsession. I have made this, in the past few weeks, many many times -- so many that I've lost count. It's incredibly simple to make. I've come home from work and made it for a weeknight after-dinner dessert. I've made it for a weekly get-together with friends (LOST and dessert every Wednesday. It's a wonderful tradition). I've made it for a dinner I cooked for a guy who bought me a ruler at the Hollywood Bowl two and a half years ago (true story). And I've made it just because I had a few extra apples lying around, which is always a great excuse to make an apple galette.
Apple Galette

For Dough:

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp sugar

1/8 tsp salt

6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3-1/2 tbsp ice water

For Filling:

2 pounds apples (I use Golden Delicious), peeled, cored, and sliced (save peels).

2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

5 tbsp sugar

For Glaze:

Apple peels

1/2 cup sugar

1) Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add 2 tbsp of the butter. Blend with a pastry mixer (or use a food processor) until dough resembles coarse cornmeal. Add remaining butter; mix until biggest pieces look like large peas.

2) Dribble in ice water little by little until dough just holds together. Toss with hands, letting it fall through fingers, until it's ropy with some dry patches. If dry patches predominate, add another tablespoon of water. Keep tossing until you can roll the dough into a ball. Flatten into a 4-inch disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Remove from refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 14-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. 

3) Place dough on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

4) Overlap apples on dough in a ring at least 2-inches from the edge of the dough. Continue inward until you reach the center. Fold dough up and over the apples, leaving the majority of the apples uncovered. 

5) Brush melted butter over apples and onto dough edge. Sprinkle sugar liberally over dough and apples. 

6) Bake in center of oven about 45 minutes - until apples are soft, with browned edges, and the crust has caramelized to a dark golden brown.

7) Make glaze: Put reserved peels in a saucepan with the sugar. Pour in just enough water to cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. Strain syrup through a cheesecloth (or put a colander over a bowl).

8) Remove tart from oven, and slide onto a cooling rack. Let cool at least 15 minutes. 

9) Brush glaze over tart, slice and serve.