Fill galettes with peaches, apples, pears or any fruit in season./Wikimedia Commons
Galettes are forgiving, rustic French pastries that have a crisp, buttery crust made with cornmeal and yogurt.
Galettes can be filled with almost any kind of fruit, so they gracefully make the transition to fall’s apples and winter’s pears.
For a savory galette, use a fresh cheese or a flavorful blue or goat cheese as the filling and top with roasted vegetables, caramelized onions and garlic, or summer’s abundant squash, tomatoes fresh herbs and peppers.
Ingredients
For the filling:
5 oz. almond paste (about ½ stick or can)
¾ cup granulated white sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. baking powder
2 large eggs
2 peaches, pitted, peeled and chopped
1 cup fresh blackberries
1 tbsp. granulated white sugar
For the glaze:
1 tbs. egg whites or egg substitute
2 tsp. coarse sugar crystals
For the crust:
3 tbsp. plain low-fat or whole-milk yogurt
1/3 cup ice water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp. granulated white sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
7 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Method
Make the crust:
Stir the yogurt and the ice water together in a small bowl and set aside.
Whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt in a large bowl.
Work the butter into the flour mixture using two knives or a pastry cutter. Aim for pieces that range in size from breadcrumbs to small peas.
Sprinkle the yogurt/water mixture over the dough, one tablespoon at a time, stirring gently.
With your hands, gather the pieces of dough together. Shape into a disk. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate at least two hours.
Make the filling:
Preheat oven to 400°.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Toss the fruit with the 1 tablespoon of sugar and set aside.
Crumble almond paste into small pieces and put in food processor.
Add flour, ¾ cup sugar and baking powder and process until almond paste is ground completely and the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Add eggs to the almond paste mixture in the food processor and process until smooth. Set aside.
Assemble the galette:
Put dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll in into a 14-inch circle about 1/8th inch thick. If the galette dough is sticky, sprinkle a little extra flour on it, your hands and the rolling pin.
Transfer the dough to the parchment-lined baking sheet.
Pour almond paste mixture into the center of the rolled-out dough. It should be thick, but will spread. Leave a two to three inch margin around galette.
Top the almond filling with the peach/berry mixture.
Grasp the edges of the dough and fold toward the center, partially covering the filling. Allow the dough to pleat as you work your way around the galette, leaving a window on the top.
Wash the dough with egg whites or egg substitute. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Loosely cover the top of the galette with foil to prevent over-browning. Bake another 15-20 minutes or until the filling is bubbly.
Move the baking sheet to a wire rack and cool 10 minutes.
Slide galette onto a serving dish. Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream.
Cook’s notes:
Have the fruit, filling and glazing materials close at hand. The almond filling is fluid and will spread rapidly once it is poured onto the dough. Work fast.
Crème friache is a lovely accompaniment for fruit pastries. Make it yourself by mixing equal parts of sour cream and heavy cream in a bowl. Cover the mixture and leave at room temperature 4-6 hours until thickened. Refrigerate. Serve a cold spoonful with slightly warm galette.
More information:
Here’s a galette recipe from the bakers at King Arthur Flour.
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