Apple Almond Galette to celebrate my new cookbook (giveaway)
The kettle is on and the table is set. It’s finally time to share with you a project I’ve been working on for a little over two years.
I’ve filled notebooks with scribbles and lists, developed hundreds of recipes, and picked the best ones to test and include. I’ve proofed many drafts of the manuscript and styled food for hundreds of photographs.
I’ve been anticipating this day for a very long time: the moment when The Simple Bites Kitchen launches into the world and you all are invited to join me in my kitchen.
Friends, today is the day! Keep reading to learn more about my new cookbook and upcoming book tour. I’m also sharing a seasonal recipe from the book – Apple Almond Galette – and giving away five copies to you!
The Simple Bites Kitchen cookbook
The Simple Bites Kitchen is dedicated to you, my readers. Without you, and without this space, there wouldn’t be an opportunity for another cookbook. It has been your loyal readership and encouragement over the past seven years that spurred me to create the collection of new recipes.
As you know from reading along over the years, my kitchen is a place where our family gathers, cooks together, and celebrates everyday life. In The Simple Bites Kitchen, I bring my love of whole foods to the table in a collection of 100 wholesome recipes drawn from my experience as a mom and a seasoned cook.
The recipes are brimming with fresh, seasonal ingredients that are easy to come by. They feature simple instructions, inspiring you to cook with confidence knowing you’re providing your family with healthy and great-tasting meals.
The Simple Bites Kitchen also includes recipes to keep your preserves pantry well-stocked all year long, kitchen tips, simple tutorials, and ideas for homespun hospitality.
The chapters are:
- Nourishing Breakfasts
- Wholesome Lunches and Snacks
- Homegrown Vegetarian
- Fresh-Air Gatherings
- Everyday Suppers
- Simple Bites Staples
- Preserves Pantry
I know well the challenges that come with feeding a family and tackle them head on by providing lunchbox inspiration, supper solutions and healthy snack options in this book. The recipes are nutritious, fairly easy to make, and approved by my kids (important!).
While Brown Eggs and Jam Jars featured quite a few celebrations like picnics, harvest dinner, holidays…., this second cookbook covers the basics in-between those wonderful life events. It’s about how we eat from Monday through Friday: simple, healthy, fast – but never boring.
One more thing: Kids in the Kitchen is a big part of this cookbook. Each chapter features a recipe that my kids love to make on their own, such as Noah’s French Toast with Cinnamon Maple Butter, Vietnamese Summer Rolls, and One-Pot Shrimp and Pea Orzo. Sparking your child’s curiosity in cooking at a young age can lead to a lifelong interest in healthful eating and unprocessed foods.
If you’re looking for inspiration and encouragement for feeding a family, The Simple Bites Kitchen is for you. As of today, is available in bookstores across North America and online in the links below.
- Canadian readers: Order online from Indigo.
- US readers: Find it on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
- UK readers: Find it on Amazon.
The Simple Bites Kitchen Canadian Book Tour 2017
I’m going coast to coast with this book, hitting major cities and a few personal spots. I hope you’ll come out and say hi if I happen to be near your town. I’d love to connect!
- October 3rd. Toronto, ON – Penguin Offices, 6-7:30pm
- October 14th. Montreal, QC – Appetite for Books, 2-4pm
- October 21st – Ottawa, ON – Red Apron, 3:30pm – 5pm
- November 5th – Smithers, BC – Two Sisters Café, 2-4pm
- November 6 – Vancouver, BC – PRH offices. 111 Water Street, Suite 310 6-7:30 Drop in.
- November 8 – Calgary, AB – The Cookbook Co. Cooks, 6:30-8pm
- November 20 – Halifax, NS – The Independent Mercantile Co. 6 – 7:30pm
Mark your calendars, friends.
Apple Almond Galette
I had to share a recipe from the cookbook, and since our Thanksgiving is just around the corner, this tart feels like the perfect fit. We’ve recently been to a local orchard to pick apples and I have heaps and heaps of them around, just waiting to be turned into a rustic galette such as this.
This seasonal tart is often my go-to dessert for family dinners when I’ve volunteered to bring something sweet. I keep 1-pound packages of puff pastry in my freezer and I always have a drawer of apples in my crisper, especially in fall. The frangipane freezes well, too, so I often make a double batch and tuck away half for another time.
Ingredients
- 1 pound puff pastry thawed overnight in the refrigerator«
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2/3 cup raw cane sugar divided, plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling
- 2 medium eggs
- 1/2 cup ground almonds
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 large Granny Smith apples or Russet
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 2 Tablespoons sliced almonds toasted, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured counter, roll puff pastry into a roughly 11- × 16-inch rectangle approximately 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to the baking sheet and place in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
- In a medium bowl, cream together the softened butter and 1/3 cup of the sugar. Add 1 egg and beat until smooth. Stir in the ground almonds and flour until a smooth paste forms. This frangipane may be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
- Peel and core the apples, then cut into quarters and slice into 1/4-inch wedges. Tumble the apples into a medium bowl and toss with another 1/3 cup sugar and the nutmeg.
- Spread the almond frangipane over the puff pastry, leaving at least a 3-inch border on all sides. Arrange the apple slices over the frangipane, overlapping and tucking them in close together.
- Fold the sides of the puff pastry up and over the apples in an easy, free-form way, making an edge of at least 2 inches. The beauty of a galette is that it doesn’t have to look perfect. Pinch the pastry folds firmly together to seal them.
- Brush the apples with the melted butter. Lightly beat the remaining egg and brush it over the puff pastry. Sprinkle everything with the remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the pasty is golden and the apples are soft when poked with a fork. Cool slightly, then sprinkle with almonds and serve warm. The galette is best enjoyed on the same day it is made.
Nutrition
The Simple Bites Kitchen Giveaway!
Thanks to my wonderful publishers at Penguin Canada, I have five copies of The Simple Bites Kitchen to giveaway to my North American readers.
To enter: please leave a comment on this post and tell me one thing you like to cook or bake in fall.
*** This giveaway has ended. The winners are: Sarah, Nancy, Anne, Matt and Laura Mayne. You have all been notified via email. Congratulations! *
That’s it! Giveaway ends on Tuesday, October 10 at 9am. The five winners will be announced here on this post, as well as directly via email. Good luck to all.
Recipe excerpted from The Simple Bites Kitchen: Nourishing Whole Food Recipes for Every Day. Copyright © 2017 by Aimée Wimbush-Bourque. Photos copyright © Tim and Angela Chin. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
Congratulations!! Your new book looks amazing! My favourite thing to make in the fall are Scones (any kind will do!) — I love waking up on chilly mornings and having a scone and a warm cup of coffee. It’s also the kind of baking that’s easy to share 🙂
Can’t wait to check out the new book, especially the chapter on preserves. Congratulations! Favorite falls cooking would be anything with apples, pie, sauce, crumble, even grilled apples with pork chops!
Welcome to the world The Simple Bites Kitchen! I know how much time and effort went into this book–a true labour of love. Proud of you!
Thanks love.
I can’t wait to flip through the new book! I love to cook up cozy fall curries with seasonal produce- think sweet potato + kale + lentils. So tasty and comforting!
I love to bake anything with pumpkin….pies, breads, scones, bars, muffins!
Beautiful book! I love all things apple, but this time of year, I have a really sweet spot for squash. Butternut squash soup, pumpkin pie and breads primarily. Good luck with your tour, and your plans to move to NS.
I love baking bread!! Beautiful cookbook….going on my wish list for Christmas!!
This book looks so fun! Looking forward to reading it. I love to make pumpkin muffins in the fall. Mmm.
Pumpkin pie.. actually my husband makes it ; ). Beautiful book!
Congratulations on another absolutely beautiful and inspiring cookbook. At the top of my fall list would be baking anything with apples, pumpkin would be a close second. For a main course, I’d have to go with roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.
Pumpkin bread! I love a super simple pumpkin bread, and while I can likely make it all year, I only crave it around this time.
Congrats on the book release!
Huge congrats on the book release! It looks so beautiful. Love seeing the scenes from your week on IG.
I love making soups and stews this time of year. This year we pulled 65 squash from our garden (including pumpkins) so my kids are begging for me to bake with pumpkin. I need to find some GF pumpkin recipes.
Yay for new cookbooks! I love to bake anything with pumpkin or apples and lots of cinnamon to get the house smelling cozy and festive!. 🙂
I can’t wait to get my hands on your new book! Loved the first one and I’m sure I’ll love this one too!! I can’t wait to bake some pies and make some tarts/cookies!!!
Congratulations on your second book! A good old pumpkin pie is what I love to bake!
I can’t wait to flip through your new book! In the fall, I love to cook delicious soups and make tomato sauce!
My family has a pumpkin pie recipe. My aunt placed it to my mom who placed it to me. It had become a stake for any meal we make for friends. It is by far my favorite thing to make in the fall.
So excited for this cookbook! My favorite fall meal to cook is a sweet and crispy pork ramen. It has roasted acorn squash for a fall kick and has such a rich and warm flavor. It’s perfect for those crisp fall days!
I am so excited for your new book! I love the last one and it has inspired my husband and I to host some large parties with good friends and good food! Can’t wait to see the new book! We love to cook all things apple in the fall but one of our favourite fall dishes a sweet potato chilli.
I’m so glad you found inspiration in my work! Thanks for the feedback.
My mother and I make fruit cake in preparation for Christmastime each fall, and this has been happening for about 20 years now. It’s probably my favourite thing about fall baking.
Butternut squash risotto!
Congratulations on your new book! I’m really looking forward to it. I need some fresh inspiration and your style is very appealing…fresh & easy?. This time of year I love preparing beef stew and spaghetti sauce…the ultimate comfort foods in my house!
My favorite fall foods to cook: pho with my own broth and herbs from my garden, and blueberry lavender scones! Yum!
Thank you for sharing your world with us. I am always interested to see what your going to show us next on Instagram.
Happy Fall?
Can’t wait to get your book! What do I love to make each and every fall? Apple sauce from your Brown Eggs and Jam Jars cookbook, of course!
Hi,
Thanks for the give away!
In the fall I love to cook and bake every butternut squash recipe I can possibly find! I know it’s not very original but I love it!!
Congratulations! I can’t wait to get my hands on this gem. As for a fall favorite, nothing says fall more than apple crisp. The perfect ratio of crumbly warm streusel over freshly picked apples from our local orchard is my absolute favorite.
My favorite thing to bake in the Fall is pumpkin pie, pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies, and savory soups!
My favorite thing to bake in the Fall is my grandma’s sweet potato pie. Or anything sweet potato.
Looking forward to the new cookbook! I love making sweet potato pie and anything with pears.
Hello Aimee, Thanks much for your posting — it is where I always turn to for inspiration and comfort! Building up another homestead is a lot of work; hope that you will soon relocate to Halifax. The one thing I make often in the fall is : sweet-potato pie.
Got my copy and already inspired. Cheers to a great accomplishment! Maddox and I have been making lots of baked apples this fall. Just cored, cut in half with butter,brown sugar and cinnamon wrapped in foil. We put them in the over before supper and slice them up with yogurt for desert. Always the same response when he eats them. “Mmmm maman…encore?”
I love cooking with winter squashes and sweet potatoes. So tasty and filling.
I love making pies: cherry, very high apple, blueberry, pumpkin, and more. So good w Fall’s crisp air and lovely w a good hot cup of coffee or tea or hot chocolate.
Wow, can’t wait to make that Apple Galette, as that is what I like to bake in the fall, anything apples oriented. Your cookbook sounds wonderful. Keep up the good work. Good luck on your move to the coast. Loved reading your “journey” thus far!!
Congrats, Aimee, on your second book! It looks so lovely, and I’m sure the recipes are superb. Can’t wait to read the book (either way!) I love your apple recipes, and applesauce is what I’m making now!
I love to cook a fabulous turkey extravaganza for all the people I love every fall.
Congratulations on your beautiful new book! That apple almond galette is calling my name, and I think I need to make it for my table this fall
My grandmother’s pumpkin chiffon pie is a requirement for Thanksgiving and always makes it feel like fall has really arrived.
Some kind of spiced apple or pumpkin cake, always an apple pie, and this year I think an upside-down apple tart might be in the works! Congratulations, and thanks for sharing this with us — CHEERS.
In the fall, I like to bake pie – often apple.
Congrats on the new book and your upcoming move! For me fall is all about apples – whether in pie or with pork chops braised in the oven!
Congratulations! The book sounds great (i’m All for simple, healthy and fast!).
For me, I make a lot of apple crisp!
Congrats on your new cookbook I like to bake apple pie!
Congrats on the new cookbook! I just made cranberry sour cream coffee cake… Perfect for fall with a cup of coffee or tea!
Soup and sourdough!
Congratulations on your beautiful new book! Your first is a staple in my kitchen! I’m loving cooking with apples right now, although I can’t wait to roast some beautiful organic fingerlings tonight! Thanks for the lovely giveaway.
I love to make apple crisp, apple sauce and pumpkin bread! They are all fall family favorites.
I’ve loved reading your blog posts for years now and always look forward to trying new recipes. I”m a fan of Brown Eggs and Jam Jars and can’t wait to get my hands on your new cookbook. Fall favourites of mine are roasted root vegetables fresh from the garden and a classic pumpkin pie.
Can’t wait to see your Cookbook! Congratulations! I’ll be baking a pumpkin pien or two this fall!
Love Pear and Almond Galette and Pumpkin Roll .
Looking forward to your new book to learn and test new recipes.
Congratulations on publishing your new book. I like the sound of Simple Bites.
Keeping my fingers crossed on winning one of your books!