A “galette” by definition is a French pastry made of something sweet, or something savory, and baked on a flat sheet in a folded crust. In other words, it can be filled with fruit, or it can be a meat and vegetable tart. In this instance, this Peach Almond Galette is perfect as a dessert, and it can also be served as a breakfast pastry. Constructed as a freeform sort of a tart, with a roughly shaped crust, this galette is basically a rustic looking peach pie without a pan to hold it together. There is just enough sugar and corn starch to solidify the fruit juice of the filling, and the fresh lemon juice and lemon zest makes for an excitingly tangy note. The crust is amazingly tasty, as it has the delicious marzipan taste of almond flour, making it a sweet and nutty counterpoint to the peach slices. Any way you slice it: Peach Almond Galette = “Yum!”
(Also see alternate fruit combinations below for: Blackberry Raspberry, Strawberry Rhubarb, and Blueberry Raspberry Almond Galettes too!)
Ingredients:
The Crust:
—1/2 cup Almond Flour
—1 cup Flour
—1/4 cup Sugar
—1/2 teaspoon Salt
—1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
—1/2 cup [1 stick] Butter
—1 tablespoon Water
The Peach Filling
—3 cups sliced Peaches
—1/4 cup Sugar
—1 tablespoon Corn Starch
—1/2 teaspoon Lemon Zest
—2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
Additional:
—1/4 cup extra Sugar
—1 beaten Egg
—1/4 cup extra Flour
NOTE: Using bakers Parchment Paper is highly recommended for this recipe. You can find it in most grocery stores where aluminum foil is stocked.
Directions:
In a mixing bowl combine almond flour, regular flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Add the cold butter, cutting it into small bits. Add the one tablespoon of water. Using a hand held mixer, a stationary mixer, or a food processor mix in the butter, until it resembles little kernels of dough.
Using your hands kneed the butter into the dry ingredients until it becomes pliable dough. Literally grabbing the dough and making a fist, and feeling the dough squeeze through your fingers is encouraged. The heat of your hands will further soften the butter as you kneed the dough, and soon it will have a consistent texture. Roll the dough into a ball, cover the ball of dough with cellophane wrap and place it into the refrigerator for an hour.
After the hour is up, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the ball of dough from the refrigerator, and remove the plastic wrap. Tear off a large enough piece of parchment paper to roll out the dough onto. Take one teaspoon of the additional quarter cup of flour, spread it on the parchment paper, and place the ball of dough on top of it. Using the palm of your hand, flatten the ball into a thick circle of dough. The dough will undoubtedly crack in places at the edge. Simply patch these cracks with dough to retain a uniform circular shape. With another teaspoon of flour, sprinkle it on the top of the circle of dough so your rolling pin does not stick to it. Also, coat your rolling pin with another teaspoon of flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to form it into a flat piece of uncooked pie crust about 14 inches in diameter. (Use a measuring tape or ruler to measure it, so that you make sure your crust is big enough.)
NOTE: This dense dough tends to crack at the edges as you roll it out with the rolling pin. After rolling out, use your hands and smooth the outer edge to maintain a smooth lip to the edge of the crust. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but smoothness counts in creating an attractively even edge.
In another mixing bowl, add the peach slices, sugar, corn starch, lemon zest, and lemon juice. With a slotted spoon, combine the ingredients and the peaches, in a way that coats the fruit.
Using a slotted spoon, mound the peach mixture in the middle of the rolled out crust, in an eleven inch circle, leaving three inches of bare exposed crust all around the edge of the circle of dough. There will be several tablespoons of fruit juice left in the bowl. Do not pour it onto the exposed fruit until the edges are in place as a barrier to hold the juice inside of the galette.
Using the parchment paper for guidance and mobility, lift up a corner of the crust, and flop it over towards the center, and onto a part of the peaches. As the dough sticks to the peach slices, carefully peel off the parchment paper, leaving the dough on the fruit filling, thus forming a one to two inch flap of outer crust covering the fruit. Repeat this process around the pastry in sixths, sevenths, or eighths; until the flaps of overlapping crust form a rudimentary pie crust out of the flaps of dough. In forming this sexagon (six sided), septagon (seven sided), or hexagon (eight sided) shape; make certain that the inner five or six inches of fruit at the center of the pastry is exposed.
NOTE: If the flaps of dough leave exposed corners that would allow fruit juice to flow out of the center of the pastry as it bakes, fold up these flaps towards the center of the pastry as well.
Place the unbaked galette, complete with the parchment paper it is on, onto a flat baking sheet.
If there is leftover fruit juice, sugar and corn starch, after the crust is folded and sealed all around, you can pour the juice onto the fruit in the middle of the galette. If there is too much juice, it can flow out of the crust and burn, so I would recommend only adding one single tablespoon of juice to the center of the galette at most.
Beat one egg in a small bowl. Using a basting brush, brush a thick coating of beaten egg onto the exposed edge of the crust, all around the galette. Take the additional quarter cup of sugar, and sprinkle it all over the galette, coating both the crust and the peaches with a dusting of sugar.
Place this incredible creation into the oven. Bake in the 375 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes. The desired effect is to have the outer crust nice and brown.
After removing the baked galette from the oven, let it cool at least one hour, so that the fruit juice sets up sufficiently, and isn’t runny.
NOTE: Do not worry if some of the fruit juice overflows out of the center. This is one pastry where the imperfections can make it look even more rustic and charming visually. Also, after the galette comes out of the oven, I like to trim away the excess parchment paper from and around the outside of the galette, leaving the exact same shape of parchment paper below the pastry so that it retains its shape and resists possible bottom crust breakage when you cut and serve it.
The pastry that this recipe yields is approximately 12 inches in diameter, just like a vinyl record album! It is not as thick or dense as a pie, so this makes a perfect dessert that is not overly heavy or doughy. The fact that this particular galette is one third almond flour makes it even better and more complex tasting than regular pie dough. This delicious French galette is also perfect served as a breakfast or brunch coffee cake as well.
NOTE: This recipe can be used several different ways, using the same pastry crust, the same ingredients [except for the peaches], and the same baking time. Simply substitute the sliced peaches with the following fruit to create these variations:
Blackberry Raspberry Almond Galette:
—1 1/2 cups [a 6 ounce container] Blackberries
—1 1/2 cups [a 6 ounce container] Raspberries
Strawberry Rhubarb Almond Galette:
—1 1/2 cups sliced Strawberries
—1 1/2 cups sliced Rhubarb Stem
Blueberry Raspberry Almond Galette:
—1 1/2 cups [a 6 ounce container] Blueberries
—1 1/2 cups [a 6 ounce container] Raspberries
Whatever the fruit you use in this wonderful Almond Galette, it turns out absolutely delicious. Usually French pastries are super-complicated to recreate, but this one is relatively easy to make. Follow this recipe, cut yourself a slice this delicious Peach Almond Galette (or any of the other mentioned flavors), and you will be able to envision yourself transported to a café on the street in Paris, with neither the hassle of the passport nor the cost of the airfare!
NOTE: The spoon in the photo contains the signature and bust of Ramon Novarro, star of the 1924 film epic “Ben Hur.” It is from a set of collectible silent film star spoons that were issued in 1925.
(Also see alternate fruit combinations below for: Blackberry Raspberry, Strawberry Rhubarb, and Blueberry Raspberry Almond Galettes too!)
Ingredients:
The Crust:
—1/2 cup Almond Flour
—1 cup Flour
—1/4 cup Sugar
—1/2 teaspoon Salt
—1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
—1/2 cup [1 stick] Butter
—1 tablespoon Water
The Peach Filling
—3 cups sliced Peaches
—1/4 cup Sugar
—1 tablespoon Corn Starch
—1/2 teaspoon Lemon Zest
—2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
Additional:
—1/4 cup extra Sugar
—1 beaten Egg
—1/4 cup extra Flour
NOTE: Using bakers Parchment Paper is highly recommended for this recipe. You can find it in most grocery stores where aluminum foil is stocked.
Directions:
In a mixing bowl combine almond flour, regular flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Add the cold butter, cutting it into small bits. Add the one tablespoon of water. Using a hand held mixer, a stationary mixer, or a food processor mix in the butter, until it resembles little kernels of dough.
Using your hands kneed the butter into the dry ingredients until it becomes pliable dough. Literally grabbing the dough and making a fist, and feeling the dough squeeze through your fingers is encouraged. The heat of your hands will further soften the butter as you kneed the dough, and soon it will have a consistent texture. Roll the dough into a ball, cover the ball of dough with cellophane wrap and place it into the refrigerator for an hour.
After the hour is up, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the ball of dough from the refrigerator, and remove the plastic wrap. Tear off a large enough piece of parchment paper to roll out the dough onto. Take one teaspoon of the additional quarter cup of flour, spread it on the parchment paper, and place the ball of dough on top of it. Using the palm of your hand, flatten the ball into a thick circle of dough. The dough will undoubtedly crack in places at the edge. Simply patch these cracks with dough to retain a uniform circular shape. With another teaspoon of flour, sprinkle it on the top of the circle of dough so your rolling pin does not stick to it. Also, coat your rolling pin with another teaspoon of flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to form it into a flat piece of uncooked pie crust about 14 inches in diameter. (Use a measuring tape or ruler to measure it, so that you make sure your crust is big enough.)
NOTE: This dense dough tends to crack at the edges as you roll it out with the rolling pin. After rolling out, use your hands and smooth the outer edge to maintain a smooth lip to the edge of the crust. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but smoothness counts in creating an attractively even edge.
In another mixing bowl, add the peach slices, sugar, corn starch, lemon zest, and lemon juice. With a slotted spoon, combine the ingredients and the peaches, in a way that coats the fruit.
Using a slotted spoon, mound the peach mixture in the middle of the rolled out crust, in an eleven inch circle, leaving three inches of bare exposed crust all around the edge of the circle of dough. There will be several tablespoons of fruit juice left in the bowl. Do not pour it onto the exposed fruit until the edges are in place as a barrier to hold the juice inside of the galette.
Using the parchment paper for guidance and mobility, lift up a corner of the crust, and flop it over towards the center, and onto a part of the peaches. As the dough sticks to the peach slices, carefully peel off the parchment paper, leaving the dough on the fruit filling, thus forming a one to two inch flap of outer crust covering the fruit. Repeat this process around the pastry in sixths, sevenths, or eighths; until the flaps of overlapping crust form a rudimentary pie crust out of the flaps of dough. In forming this sexagon (six sided), septagon (seven sided), or hexagon (eight sided) shape; make certain that the inner five or six inches of fruit at the center of the pastry is exposed.
NOTE: If the flaps of dough leave exposed corners that would allow fruit juice to flow out of the center of the pastry as it bakes, fold up these flaps towards the center of the pastry as well.
Place the unbaked galette, complete with the parchment paper it is on, onto a flat baking sheet.
If there is leftover fruit juice, sugar and corn starch, after the crust is folded and sealed all around, you can pour the juice onto the fruit in the middle of the galette. If there is too much juice, it can flow out of the crust and burn, so I would recommend only adding one single tablespoon of juice to the center of the galette at most.
Beat one egg in a small bowl. Using a basting brush, brush a thick coating of beaten egg onto the exposed edge of the crust, all around the galette. Take the additional quarter cup of sugar, and sprinkle it all over the galette, coating both the crust and the peaches with a dusting of sugar.
Place this incredible creation into the oven. Bake in the 375 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes. The desired effect is to have the outer crust nice and brown.
After removing the baked galette from the oven, let it cool at least one hour, so that the fruit juice sets up sufficiently, and isn’t runny.
NOTE: Do not worry if some of the fruit juice overflows out of the center. This is one pastry where the imperfections can make it look even more rustic and charming visually. Also, after the galette comes out of the oven, I like to trim away the excess parchment paper from and around the outside of the galette, leaving the exact same shape of parchment paper below the pastry so that it retains its shape and resists possible bottom crust breakage when you cut and serve it.
The pastry that this recipe yields is approximately 12 inches in diameter, just like a vinyl record album! It is not as thick or dense as a pie, so this makes a perfect dessert that is not overly heavy or doughy. The fact that this particular galette is one third almond flour makes it even better and more complex tasting than regular pie dough. This delicious French galette is also perfect served as a breakfast or brunch coffee cake as well.
NOTE: This recipe can be used several different ways, using the same pastry crust, the same ingredients [except for the peaches], and the same baking time. Simply substitute the sliced peaches with the following fruit to create these variations:
Blackberry Raspberry Almond Galette:
—1 1/2 cups [a 6 ounce container] Blackberries
—1 1/2 cups [a 6 ounce container] Raspberries
Strawberry Rhubarb Almond Galette:
—1 1/2 cups sliced Strawberries
—1 1/2 cups sliced Rhubarb Stem
Blueberry Raspberry Almond Galette:
—1 1/2 cups [a 6 ounce container] Blueberries
—1 1/2 cups [a 6 ounce container] Raspberries
Whatever the fruit you use in this wonderful Almond Galette, it turns out absolutely delicious. Usually French pastries are super-complicated to recreate, but this one is relatively easy to make. Follow this recipe, cut yourself a slice this delicious Peach Almond Galette (or any of the other mentioned flavors), and you will be able to envision yourself transported to a café on the street in Paris, with neither the hassle of the passport nor the cost of the airfare!
NOTE: The spoon in the photo contains the signature and bust of Ramon Novarro, star of the 1924 film epic “Ben Hur.” It is from a set of collectible silent film star spoons that were issued in 1925.