Cheesy Squash and Caramelized Onion Galettes
Flakey pastry dough is topped with melted ricotta and Gruyère cheese and then a layer of sweet caramelized onions and spiced butternut squash. These mini galettes are perfect as an appetizers or on the side of an entree.
Ingredients
Galette Dough
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter – cut into ½ inch pieces
Filling
4 yellow onions – thinly sliced
2 cups butternut squash – diced into 1 inch pieces
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ cup Gruyère cheese – grated
How To Make
1
To make the dough, mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Use either your hands or a pastry cutter to rub the butter into the flour until it has a coarse texture. Add the remaining butter and incorporate until the largest chucks of butter are the size of an almond. Slowly pour the water into the dough and knead the dough until it comes together into a ball. Depending on the humidity in the room you may need a bit more or a bit less water. The dough should be wet, but not sticky. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.
2
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a high sided saucepan and place on medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions and a healthy pinch of salt. Place the lid on top of the pan, but leave it slightly ajar. Allow the onions to cook undisturbed and stir every 10 minutes. The onions will first turn translucent and then begin to brown. The bottom of the pan will start to brown as well. Once this happens, start to stir more often. The goal is to scrape the brown bits off the pan and mix into the onion. If the pan looks like it will burn, lower the heat and add a few tablespoons of water to deglaze. Cook until the onions are deeply caramelized.
3
Preheat the oven to 400F. While the onions cook, toss the squash in a bowl with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, ground cloves, thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast until the squash is a light brown and fork tender. Allow the squash to cool.
4
To assemble to galettes, remove the dough from the fridge and rest on the counter for 10 minutes. Roll the dough into a ¼ inch thick slab and using a 4 inch circle cookie cutter, punch out as many discs as you can (about 12 typically). To fill the galettes, start with a teaspoon of ricotta in the center of the disc and then top with a teaspoon of the shredded Gruyère. Next add a teaspoon of the caramelized onions and then finally a tablespoon of the roast squash. Carefully fold the sides of the dough around the filling, overlapping each fold to creating pleats, but leave the center of the filling exposed. Place each folded galette on a baking sheet and once all of them are filled, bake in the 400F oven for 12-15 minutes or until the dough is golden brown. Serve warm.