best of the season … Almond Summer Fruit Galette

When it comes to bringing a dessert to a party or summer bbq, a fruit galette is the way to go.  Absolutely, no question. First off, they are way easier to make than a traditional pie especially in an unairconditioned summer kitchen (hello, welcome to my world.) The pastry is a lot friendlier and forgiving than a pie dough due to the addition of a bit of sugar and is much easier to handle. Since galettes are free-form, they scale up or down easily and take any extra fruit additions like a champ. The filling is simple: some kind of fruit, sugar, a bit of thickener and if you’re feeling super duper fancy, some citrus zest and/or juice. But the number one reason you should be bringing galettes to parties is that there is no need to bring a pan home. Nope. No driving back the next day to get your pie tin, no wondering where the hell the bottom to your tart pan went. Slide that thing off the sheet pan onto a piece of cardboard or a cheap thrift store plate and you’re off. How many pie plates and tart pan bottoms have you lost over the years, left at long forgotten parties? Exactly my point.

I have made so many galettes, tarts and pies over the years, from the fanciest of fancy to the simplest of simple, and they’re always my favorite. In fact, I’ve probably posted more about galettes-tarts-pies than anything else (see below.) A galette, with an easy to handle dough and a filling made of just a few ingredients, is my summer default. I tend to save pies for cooler weather. While I have a standard, flaky type of galette dough I use all the time, I wanted to try something a bit different last weekend so tweaked my recipe a bit and added some almond flour for a more tender pastry. Worked like a dream.

My original plan was to use just blueberries but something happened at the farmers market. Its that miraculous time of the year in the Midwest when everything, absolutely everything, is ripe at the same time. I did buy blueberries at the farmers market, but also cherries, raspberries and peaches. Then in a moment of I’m not too sure what happened, I also bought nectarines, cherry plums, apriums and pluots (both plum/apricots crosses). And a watermelon. I can’t quite explain what came over me. I simply couldn’t help myself.

It was apparent to everyone but me that I had over purchased as one person can only each so much fruit, no matter how great it is. Without much thought, the blueberry-almond galette I’d planned for a weekend bbq became an almond stone fruit-berry galette. And it was so much better for it. This thing was damn delicious. The pastry was meltingly tender and the filling was … well, it was amazing. Sweet and tart and bright all at the same time.

I have a few tricks to thicken the filling as these fruits were incredibly juicy. I like cornstarch in these kind of things to thicken everything up nicely but sprinkled a bit of almond flour on the bottom of the pastry for extra peace of mind. Also, make sure you bake until the filling bubbles like lava, a sign that the starches were fully activated. Pull it too soon and you’ll have a runny center and eventually, a soggy crust. If the pastry edges look like they’re browning too quickly, cover with strips of foil, keep the center exposed and continue baking until you see those telltale lava-like bubbles.

The beauty of this galette is that it works with whatever fruit you have. Sure, I used damn near everything I had and you should too. Or go with a simple combination, like peaches and blueberries or just straight blueberries. The almond crust works well with all summer fruits, and probably winter ones too. Wherever you end up, will be pure happiness.

STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: FREE FREE FREE! This is truly a bake-and-release recipe. You bake the tart, release it into the world and absolutely no worries about getting back the damn pan. I cannot begin to express how much I hate that. My best friend is remodeling her kitchen and sent me a photo the other day of three pie plates, asking if any of them were mine because they weren’t hers and she had no recollection of how they came to be in her house. The struggle is real. Avoid the hassle. Make an easy breezy galette with all the beautiful perfect summer fruit accumulating in your refrigerator and have none of these worries.

Other galettes & tarts: Tart Tips & Tart Dough, Simple Jam Tart, Strawberry Mascarpone Galette, Deep Dish Plum Almond Tart, Apricot Almond Tarts, Apricot Pistachio Frangipane Tart, Classic Lemon Tart, Raspberry Speculoos Frangipane Tart, Galette de Gayon – Fig Walnut & Honey Galette, Pear Frangipane Tarts, Simple Pear Tart, Simple Apple Tarts, French Apple Tart, French Apple Tart for a Crowd, Cranberry Crumble Tart, Dark Chocolate Tart, Chocolate Raspberry Tart, Chocolate Ganache Tart, Banana Tarte Tatin, Soda Bread Tarte Tatin, Bakewell Tart, Chocolate Banoffee Tart, Kentucky Derby Tarts,
Or how about a pie? Lattice Love – Lessons in Pie Crust, Shaker Lemon Pie,
Lemon Sour Cream Pie, Coconut Chess Pie, Rhubarb Custard Pie, Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie + Lard Crust, Sour Cherry Slab Pie, Ginger Peach Hand Pies, Blackberry Lime Pie, Classic Apple Pie, French Apple Pie, Salted Caramel Apple Pie, Classic Pumpkin Pie, Cider Apple Pie
Or feeling savory? Beer Braised Onion & Bacon Tart, Fresh Tomato Tart,
Zucchini Ricotta Galettes, Squash & Onion Tart, Pancetta Pea & Ricotta Hand Pies,
Sausage Hand Pies, Chicken Pot Pie
ten years ago: Chanterelles & Fresh Pasta, Chocolate Peanut Rice Krispie Treats,
Herbal Infused Simple Syrups
nine years ago: Sour Cherry Cobbler
eight years ago: Life in Southwest France
seven years ago: Sleeping It Off in Gascony
six years ago: Prosciutto Stuffed Figs
five years ago: Guinness Crème Anglaise
four years ago: Carrot Green & Parmesan Bites
three years ago: Pineapple with Lemongrass & Lime Leaf Syrup,
Pão de Queijo – Brazilian Cheese Bread
two years ago: Salmon Rilettes
last year: Watermelon Jicama Salad

ALMOND SUMMER FRUIT GALETTE
Makes 1 large galette, serving 12 or so
Use any combination of summer fruit you may have. I used blueberries, nectarines, cherry plums, pluots, apriums and a few raspberries for good measure

For the pastry dough:
¾ cup almond flour
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 Tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, frozen and cut into pieces (1 stick)
4 Tablespoons ice water

for the filling:
1 ¼ pounds summer fruit – stone fruit and/or berries
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
¼ cup sugar

1 Tablespoon almond flour
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon water
1 Tablespoon sliced almonds
1 Tablespoon sugar

1. for the pastry: in a food processor, pulse the almond meal, flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon just to combine.
2. Add butter and pulse a few times to break the butter up just a little. Don’t overprocess.
3. Remove the lid and drizzle the ice water over the mixture.
4. Replace the lid and pulse until the dough just barely begins to come together. If you grab a clump and squeeze, it should hold together. If not, add another Tablespoon of ice water.
5. Turn the mixture onto the counter and gently knead together.
6. Pat the dough into a flat circle, wrap in plastic and refridgerate for 1 hour, overnight or freeze for up to 2 months (defrost in the fridge overnight.)
7. For the filling: preheat oven to 375°F and place a rack in the lower third.
8. Prepare the fruit: for stone fruit, pit and cut into thin slices – about 1/8”. Leave the skins on. Rinse any berries and let dry on a few layers of paper towels.
9. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, cornstarch and salt until combined.
10. In large bowl, toss the fruit (if using raspberries set aside to mix in later) with the lemon zest and lemon juice.
11. Add the sugar/cornstarch mixture and gently fold to combine. Set aside.
12. To assemble: Roll out pastry dough on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to a 12″ round.
13. Slide onto a sheet pan and sprinkle the 1 Tablespoon of almond flour in the center, leaving a 2” border.
14. Turn the fruit filling out into the center, leaving a 2″ border. (if using raspberries, scatter them on top.)
15. Dot the butter on top of the fruit.
16. Starting with one side, gently fold the pastry edges up and over the fruit and continue working the pastry around, overlapping slightly, pressing lightly to adhere each crease to the pastry below.
17. Make an egg wash with the egg and water, beating until smooth.
18. Brush the pastry with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar and sliced almonds.
19. Bake until the crust is dark golden brown and filling is bubbling, 45-50 minutes. Check at 30 minutes; if the almonds are browning too quickly, cover the pastry edges with strips of foil leaving the fruit center uncovered.
20. Let cool completely before serving.