Photo by Rachael Brugger |
Rustically pretty and much easier than two crusts, this is my favorite technique for fruit and nut pies. Galettes aren’t suited to saucy fillings.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
Filling
- 8 to 12 plums, depending on variety (e.g., 8 larger plums, such as Friar, or 12 smaller plums, such as prune plums or Damson)
- 1/4 cup sugar, plus 2 T. (optional)
- 3 T. flour
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ginger
- 1/2 cup chopped almonds
- 1 tsp. lemon juice (optional)
Crust
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1? cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 T. ice water
Preparation
Filling
Slice plums into eighths. Toss with sugar, flour, spices and nuts. If plums are highly sweet, add 1 teaspoon lemon juice; if very tart, add 2 tablespoons sugar.
Crust
Pulse nuts in food processor until finely ground. Mix in sugar, flour and salt. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse meal. Stir together egg and ice water and add to mixture, pulsing again just until well-combined. Dump mixture into bowl and work gingerly into ball. Flatten into disk, wrap in waxed paper and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. You might have to let chilled dough warm a bit when you’re ready to roll out crust, so it’s pliable but not sticky.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out crust on floured board to about 1/4-inch thick. Using slotted spoon, scoop filling onto crust in even layer, leaving 3-inch border. Gently lift dough over filling, pinching just enough to keep it folded. This is a stiff dough, so if it’s too difficult to work with, allow it to warm a bit more and moisten your fingers with cold water when pinching it. Edges will be rough with a circle of uncovered fruit in the middle. You can trim a little dough from the thicker folds if desired.
With two large metal spatulas, transfer tart to parchment paper- or silicone-lined baking sheet. Lay square of aluminum foil over exposed filling to keep it from drying out. Bake for 10 minutes, lower heat to 350 degrees F, and bake for 30 to 40 more minutes, until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown.
