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There’s something about making homemade fruit pies with a flaky, buttery crust that makes me happy. My grandmother taught me to make pies so perhaps it’s that connection that soothes me. See Mammaw … I remember what you taught me, with your strong hands gently rolling soft dough into family memories.
Plums are nearly perfect in every way. They’re sweet, juicy, soft, tart and absolutely satisfying. Whether made into jam or eaten fresh from the tree, they’ve always been a favorite of mine. And don’t you know they make a pretty terrific pie too.
I’ve made a lot of crusts over the years so I am often surprised when a find a new version I really like. This recipe from Jacques Pepin as posted in Food & Wine magazine is “buttery, flaky and very forgiving.” While I’m not usually happy with an all butter crust, this is the exception. Made completely in the food processor it comes together in two pulses of the switch. I adjusted the water down a little because I have found it makes for a flakier crust. Too much water makes a crust tough.
Rustic tarts, Galettes and even pie crusts can be perfected with very little effort. This Galette is like a really thin pie make without a dish. I trimmed the crust so I could use the extra for decoration but it’s not necessary. It doesn’t matter if it turns out round or odd shaped. Divide the dough and make two smaller Galettes, that makes it easier to share 🙂
I was really getting into this dessert so I ended up layering the plum slices in concentric circles. It tastes just as great with a pile-o-plums and that gives it a much more rustic presentation.
Bake for about an hour or until the fruit is very soft and the crust golden brown.
Lightly brush the fruit with plum, raspberry or apricot jam to add a little sweetness and that lovely shinny glaze.
Plum Galette
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 12
Course: Dessert
Tender sweet plums baked in a flaky crust then brushed with preserves for a beautiful sheen.
Ingredients
for the pastry:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch pieces
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons ice water
for the filling:
- ½ cup granulated sugar (divided)
- 3 tablespoons ground almonds
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 pounds large plums, halved, pitted and cut into 1/2 inch wedges.
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- ⅓ cup good quality plum preserves (apricot or raspberry) strained if chunky or seedy
- 1 tablespoon coarse sugar, for sprinkling on the crust
Instructions
To prepare the crust:
- Pour flour, butter and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse for 5 seconds. Be careful not to over process. The butter should still be in chunks. Add the ice cold water and pulse 5 more seconds or until the dough comes together. Gather the dough into a disk. Place on a lightly floured surface and roll out into a 16 (+-) circle. The dough should be about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill until firm, about 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400°F degrees.
- In a small mixing bowl combine ¼ cup of the sugar with the ground almonds and 3 tablespoons of flour. Spread the almond mixture over the dough leaving a 2 inch border. Arrange the sliced plums on top and dot with 3 tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle the fruit with the remaining ¼ cup sugar. Fold the edge of the dough up over the plums to create a border. Sprinkle the border with 1 tablespoon coarse sugar.
- Bake the galette on the middle rack for about 1 hour, or until the fruit is very soft and the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush the hot fruit with the preserves. Allow the Galette to cool to room temperature and serve.
Recipe Notes
(adapted from Food & Wine)
Use 2 1/2 pounds of plums if you prefer a thicker Galette with the plums piled high
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
Nutrition
Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 54mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 698IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
Sam
Hi,
Does the galette really bake at 400 for a hour after you preheat to 400 and not burn or anything?
Tricia Buice
Thats correct Sam. Nothing burned!
Mary Bergfeld
That photo is worthy of a magazine cover. It is beautiful and the galette sounds delicious. Ihope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary
Kalyan Panja
Just mouthwatering….looks delicious!
Kalyan Panja
Just mouthwatering….looks delicious!
Kitchen Belleicious
it looks amazing! Beautiful and delicious and picture perfect!
Kari Lindsay
Tricia, this Galette is soooo pretty; the arrangement of the plums, and the pastry looks just perfect! Ya make it look so easy!
Daniela Grimburg
Tricia, your Plum Galette is amazing, so are the pictures.<br />Everything looks so inviting, I would lo looove to have a piece:)<br />So nice what you say about your grandmother when picturing her hands.<br />Thank you so much for including me in "Super blogs to visit".<br />I feel very honored for this distinction!
Nizz
Gorgeous :)!
Chris Scheuer
That is the prettiest galette I've EVER seen Tricia, oh my goodness, it looks like art work, not to mention amazingly delicious! My galettes are usually thrown together. Yours looks like something out of a fine bakery 🙂
Betty
Beautiful! Plums are so good right now, and this galette is stunning- makes my mouth water for a slice. 🙂 Have some fun in Fla. for me!
Monica
Tricia – this might sound crazy but I'm thinking you must be a very patient, nurturing person! The things you make all show a great sense of care and attention to detail. It always looks so pretty and patiently put together. This galette is a perfect example. It looks stunning – I don't know how you sliced and positioned those plum so beautifully and that crust is just beautiful! I
Anna and Liz Recipes
Oh-my! Tricia this pie is too beautiful to cut into it. I think if I made this I would tell everyone they can only look at it but not eat it …lol….Gorgeous! Love the thin crust too!
Abbe@This is How I Cook
Oh, I totally love plums. And your photos, I love those, too! Tricia, this looks so enticing. Love that pies are a family thing. And that you are on vacation. Enjoy it for me, too! I love shells.
Tanna at The Brick Street Bungalow
Oh, girl!! Enjoy that beach and some good eats for me, too… oh, yeah, and a nap!! =)<br /><br />Galettes are among my favorite ever desserts… I LOVE their rustic elegance! blessings ~ tanna
From the Kitchen
Beautiful and delicious looking! I love recipes associated with sweet memories.<br /><br />Best,<br />Bonnie
Angie Schneider
Tricia, save me a large piece! Your galette looks terrific!