Apricot galette

Apricot Galette

The season for apricots is unfortunately a short one so I like to take advantage of it by using them in many different dishes. I love the contrast between the tart skin and the sweet flesh and I find cooking brings out the best in this versatile stone fruit. I was at Costco last week (masked and gloved up) and they had these giant packages of lovely California apricots for a very reasonable price so I picked one up to play with and I'm glad I did as they made the most delicious galette for dessert. Galettes are such a great dessert, they take very little time and effort if you are like me and always have the pastry already made and in the freezer. Unlike a pie which can be a bit tricky to tell when it is done, having the fruit exposed in a galette allows you to see if it is bubbling and ready to come out of the oven so there will be no surprises like when you cut into a pie and find the fruit to still be a juicy mess because it didn't cook long enough.I have tried hundreds of different recipes for a crust and I finally found one that I love. It can be made in a food processor in just a few minutes, rolls out beautifully without cracking and is crispy and delicious. perfect for a galette. This recipe comes from David Leite's website Leite's Culinaria along with a very slightly adapted version of his apricot galette. David is a very well-known Portuguese-American food writer, cookbook author and the founder of two-times James Beard Award winning food website linked above. I highly suggest you check out his site for lots of fabulous recipes to add to your collection. 

David Leite's Apricot Galette

serves 10

for the pastry:

200g/1.5C all-purpose flour

12g/1T granulated sugar

1/2t salt

142g/10T very cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes

30-90ml /2-6T ice water

For the fruit filling:

65g/ 1/3C granulated sugar

1.5T tapioca flour or cornstarch 

1/8t salt

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

10-12 apricots, pitted and cut into eighths

1T unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1 egg yolk beaten with 2T heavy cream for the egg wash

sliced almonds (optional)

demerara sugar 

To make the crust:

• Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse several time to mix. Add the butter cubes and pulse until the butter is about the size of small peas then sprinkle 3T of water over the mixture and pulse again a few times. Test to see the dough holds together by squeezing a small mount together, if not add another tablespoon or 2 and pulse again and test. I found I needed 6 tablespoons on a dry day for it to be perfect. You may need more or less depending on the humidity in the air. 
• Dump the pastry mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and gather the pieces together and press firmly to create a disk about an inch/2.5cm  in thickness. Try to work the dough as little as possible so it won't become tough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour and up to 3 days. 
• To roll out, remove the dough from the fridge for about 10 min or until just slightly softened and place on a well floured large board. 
• Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C
• Roll the dough out into a 14"/36cm diameter circle and about 1/8"/3mm thick. Do not roll the dough out too thinly or it may break when baking and leak the juice from the fruit and making it difficult to remove from the pan. 
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with a cooking release spray.
• Carefully transfer the dough to the baking pan. I roll the dough up over the rolling pin then unroll it onto the parchment paper. If the dough has gotten very soft, place back into the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes. 
•  Toss the prepared apricots, sugar, salt, nutmeg and tapioca flour or corn starch together in a large bowl. 
• Gently and evenly spoon the fruit onto the prepared dough leaving a border of about 1.5"/ 5.5cm around the edges. 
• Fold the dough edges up and over the fruit pleating the dough every couple of inches/cm and press lightly down . 
• Brush the folded over dough lightly with the egg wash then sprinkle with the sliced almonds if desired then the demerara sugar. 

• Place the galette into the freezer for 10 min. I find this helps the crust keep its shape better. 
• Place into the preheated oven and bake for about 45 minutes then turn the heat down to 350°F/180°C for another 15-20 minutes or until the crust is nicely browned and the fruit is bubbling in the center . 
• Remove the galette from the oven and place the pan on a rack to cool for 15 minutes then CAREFULLY slide the parchment paper with the galette onto the rack to cool completely. I use a flat cookie sheet as a giant spatula to help move the galette. If you wish the fruit to look shiny and glistening, heat some apricot preserves up for a minute or so in the microwave and gently brush the melted preserve over the fruit then let cool. 
• When the galette is completely cooled, run a spatula between the crust and the parchment paper and slide the paper out. Transfer the galette to a serving dish and serve with some ice cream or whipped cream 
• The galette is best eaten the day its made or the crust has a tendency to get a bit soggy.