Happy Fall everyone. It has been quiet over here this summer. A good kind of online quiet while my offline life was filled with time in nature, cliff jumping, sitting by the beach, and away from the screen as much as possible. I hope it was one as energizing and glorious for you as it was for me. Some warm, bright memories to store up for the coming months.

If you have been following along on social media — you will have noticed my switch from light, airy photography to dark and rich imagery. It is a direction that has taken me by surprise but something I feel very connected to. For me —  a new way of seeing, shaping light, and appreciating details to capture in everyday life. After shooting mostly artificial light for the past year— it feels like I am coming full circle working with natural light again. On a personal level, I feel I am finally embracing the light of dark winters in Canada while absorbing classical inspiration from artists in the Dutch golden era. I have pulled out my music sheets and classic music in the studio is now a thing. It is a personal process, not without emotion, but one that comes with a sense of peace.

Now, let's talk about apple pies. I love how timeless this recipe is, never failing to reappear this time every year. I did not grow up eating apple pies, so this is a new tradition I am setting for myself. I had the best fruit cake in Australia last Christmas with my boyfriend’s family, and finally made use of the rum I bought on that trip. Inspired by Australian fruit cake —  rum will be added to all of my fruit desserts now.

This recipe is adapted from an apple bourbon galette recipe from food52, using flaky pie dough from Cannelle Et Vanille’s cookbook. The apples were picked from Willow View Farm with my family last week, it made a world's difference using fresh apples. Jonagolds are my new favourite eating and cooking apple. I have some Korean pears and plums from the garden that I am looking forward to baking with this recipe. 

Apple Rum Galette

Serves 6, makes one large galette or 2-3 small ones

Ingredients 

• 1/2 flaky pie dough

• 1/3 cup rum

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar ( I used 1/4 for a less sweet version)

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 3 large or 4 medium apples, cored and sliced into pieces

• 1 egg, beaten, for finishing

• Turbinado sugar, for finishing

• Basil leaves, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

• In a small saucepot, bring the rum to a boil over medium heat. Cook until the liquor is reduced to 2 tablespoons, then stir in the butter until it’s melted.

• In a small bowl, whisk the brown sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon to combine. Stir this into the rum-butter mixture and let cool completely.

• Cut the apples into four outer pieces, leaving the core intact. Carefully slice each piece into thin slices, doing your best to keep sections together while you slice. This will make your apples easier to fan

• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a round shape around 1/4 inches thick. Trim the edges if you need to. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet.

• Starting around the edges — fan the apples out and place them over the dough, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of uncovered dough all around the edge.

• Fold the sides of the dough over the apples. Overlapping the folds and pinching at the edges to ensure they are secure.

• Carefully spoon the bourbon-sugar mixture over the apples evenly. Apply egg wash over the edges of the dough and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

• Bake the galette until the crust is golden brown and the apples are toasted and tender. Around 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool before slicing and serve with ice cream. Garnish with basil leaves if you like. The galette keeps for2-3 a few days though best enjoyed fresh, a light toast for leftovers in the convection oven helps.