As with many local businesses, Baked Pie Co. started with a dream—and a craving for pie. While out looking for a slice of pie and a cup of coffee, Kirsten Fuchs and her daughter realized Asheville was lacking in a good place to sit and enjoy a baked treat. Kirsten used her background in business management and found a baker, supplies and a space to manifest the dream, and thus Baked Pie Co. was born.
“I just want everyone to feel at home here,” Kirsten says. “I want you to feel like you’re walking into your mom or grandma’s house.”
Both locations are richly decorated with warm colors, knick-knacks and nostalgic memorabilia. The menu is extensive, and for those who can’t pick just one flavor, Kirsten offers a pie flight with three slices and a scoop of ice cream. There’s something for everyone: gluten-free, vegan and those who just love chocolate. Baked Pie Co. is a place to relax with a good book, plug in and work, meet a friend, and of course, enjoy a piece of pie and a cup of coffee.
Check out Kirsten's recipe for apple galette, the perfect addition to a summer soirée or intimate dinner.
Apple Galette
Ingredients
Crust:
2 1/2 cups shortening, room temperature
7 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 1/4 cups cold water
Apple Filling:
8 cups apples, peeled, sliced and cored
2/3 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Streusel:
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
Topping:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 egg
3 tablespoons turbinado sugar
Directions
Make the Galette Dough:
1. Beat shortening for 1 minute on medium speed.
2. Add flour, sugar, salt and water. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, until combined. Do not over-mix.
3. Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Flatten into a disk, and wrap completely in the plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Make the Fruit Filling:
1. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add apples and toss to coat. Set aside.
Make the Streusel:
1. In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour and cinnamon.
2. Add the pieces of cold butter into the bowl. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut the butter into the mixture until it is the texture of coarse meal and looks crumbly.
Heat the Oven:
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350 F.
Roll the Dough:
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Unwrap the dough, and place it on a piece of parchment paper. Divide into 5 even balls. Roll each dough into a 12-inch round, about 1/8-inch thick—no need for neat edges. Slide the parchment and the 5 galette doughs onto two baking sheets.
Assemble:
- Divide and pile the fruit filling onto the doughs, slightly mounding it in the centers and leaving a 2-inch border around the edges.
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Fold the rim of the doughs up and over the edge of the filling, overlapping the dough as you go around and pleating the dough, making sure to leave a large hole over the fruit so any steam can escape.
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Distribute cubes of cold butter across the top of the fruit (1 tablespoon per galette).
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Top apple filling/butter with streusel.
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Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the crusts with the egg wash, and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
Bake:
Bake until the crusts are a deep golden-brown and the fruit is bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the parchment with the galettes on it to a wire rack and cool completely.
