Michelle Darmody: How to make a fruity galette and experiment with different fillings

A mixed berry galette is just such a treat

Plum and frangipane galette

Galette is a term used in French cuisine to designate various types of flat crusty cakes, usually with a fruit filling and pastry tucked around the sides to form a flat disk-like tart. It can be a little confusing as the word is also used in the North of France to describe a savoury pancake which is usually made with buckwheat flour. The galettes described here are the former.

It is advisable to make sure the galette pastry is always tight and compact so it does not unfold or lose shape during baking.

I particularly like frangipane as a filling. This is an almond-flavoured sweet pastry cream, generally made with ground almonds. It goes well with many stone fruit: apricots are a very good pairing with anything almond-based. You can add a drop of almond essence to the frangipane to boost the flavour if you wish.

The Apple Galette uses puff pastry instead of shortcrust — this adds a lightness to the tart. You can experiment with your fillings with either type of pastry. Galettes are pretty free form once you have your pastry recipe correct. At this time of year, berries are particularly juicy and are great in all sorts of cakes.

Plum and frangipane galette

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Frangipane is an almond-flavoured sweet pastry cream as a delicious filling.

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 45 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• For the pastry:

• 225g flour

• 1 pinch salt

• 140g cold butter, cut into cubes

• 55g caster sugar

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• For the filling:

• 50g soft butter

• 40g muscovado sugar

• 1 egg

• 100g ground almonds

• 6 – 8 plums, destoned and sliced

Method

1. Mix the flour and salt together and rub in the cold butter until it looks like rough breadcrumbs. Do not over mix.

2. Stir the sugar into the egg, mix it lightly until it begins to dissolve. Add this to the flour with a fork. Bring everything together with your hands then rest the pastry for an hour in the fridge or overnight.

3. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a large flat baking tray with parchment.

4. Roll the pastry into a large disc and place this on the prepared baking tray.

5. To make the frangipane, beat the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy. Add in the egg and then add the ground almonds until combined. Spread this onto the pastry leaving about three inches around each side. Bunch the sides of the pastry sheet up so they slightly cover the sides of the apple. Pinch them tightly together to prevent the pastry opening during baking.

6. Bake for about 30 minutes until the pastry is golden. Allow to cool on the tray until it is cool enough to handle then gently slide it onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Apple puff pastry galette

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

This recipe uses puff pastry instead of shortcrust — this adds a lightness to the tart.

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 40 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 3 large cooking apples, peeled, cored, and very thinly sliced

• 1 tbs golden raisins

• 40g muscovado sugar

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 2 tsp vanilla

• 2 tbs melted butter

• a large puff pastry sheet or two pressed together — about 500g

• 1 egg yolk

• 1/2 tbs golden caster sugar

• ½ tbs of slivered almonds

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C and line a large flat baking tray with parchment.

2. Toss the apple slices and raisins in the muscovado sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and melted butter Lay the puff pastry onto the baking tray. Arrange the apple slices in circles from the inside out, leaving about three inches around each side.

3. Bunch the sides of the pastry sheet up so they slightly cover the sides of the apple. Pinch them tightly together to prevent the pastry opening during baking.

4. Brush the exposed pastry with the egg yolk and sprinkle with the golden caster sugar. Sprinkle the slivered almonds over the whole galette.

5. Bake for 25 to 30 until the pastry is crisp and golden. Allow to cool on the tray until it is cool enough to handle then gently slide it onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Mixed berry galette

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Berries are particularly juicy and are great in all sorts of cakes.

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 40 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• For the pastry:

• 225g flour

• 1 pinch of salt

• 140g cold butter, cut into cubes

• 55g caster sugar

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• For the filling:

• 120g raspberries

• 120g strawberries

• 120g blackberries

• zest of 2 oranges

• ½ tbs cornstarch, sieved

• 10g muscovado sugar

• To decorate:

• 1 egg yolk

• 1/2 tbs golden caster sugar

Method

1. Mix the flour and salt together and rub in the cold butter until it looks like rough breadcrumbs. Do not over mix.

2. Stir the sugar into the egg, mix it lightly until it begins to dissolve. Add this to the flour with a fork. Bring everything together with your hands then rest the pastry for an hour in the fridge or overnight.

3. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a large flat baking tray with parchment.

4. Roll the pastry into a large disk.

5. Toss the berries in the zest, cornstarch, and sugar. Spread this in the center of the pastry leaving about 3 inches all around. Bunch the sides of the pastry sheet up so they slightly cover the berries. Pinch the pastry tightly to prevent it opening during baking. Brush the exposed pastry with the egg yolk and sprinkle with the golden caster sugar.

6. Bake for about 30 minutes until the pastry is golden. Allow to cool on the tray until it is cool enough to handle then gently slide it onto a wire rack to cool completely.