Plum Galette Under Ashen Skies

PLUM GALETTE

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Pate Brisee

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch chunks

• 1/2 cup ice water + 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more

  for work surface

Galette

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup finely ground toasted hazelnuts or almonds (or lightly toasted almond flour in a pinch)

• 2 tablespoons light-brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 20 prune plums (approximately)

• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus more

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten + 1 tablespoon cold water

We’re so deep in the COVID new world order that I hardly remember a time before. Also, wildfire season. That too. Rob and I spend all day thinking about moving to Italy where the preschool is free and the figs are sweet and the sky does not snow ash from mega-fires.

In better news, we formed a little bubble around ourselves and our friends Josh and Carissa and their baby, Margaret. The whole situation is sparing my sanity. It’s also giving me a reason to bake again: deadlines and meals to plan and times to meet and reasons to brush teeth, get dressed, set the table. Motivation. Social contact. 

Twenty years ago or so I made a plum galette recipe that I found in the pages of Martha Stewart Living. I thought of it often, but never bothered to look for the recipe. But this year, I had a harvest of prune plums from MY OWN FRONT YARD. And I had a dessert to plan.

I faked the “frangipane” because I was clean out of nuts of any kind and a quick grocery run is out of the question. Instead, I used what I had—almond flour; toasting it in a hot pan slightly to shake the refrigerator chill.

In my opinion, galette is so much better than pie. You can avoid the whole double crust situation, which gives you a better fruit-to-crust ratio. It’s forgiving as hell. Do not do like Martha instructs and trim the edges of your dough. There is literally no need. The galette is about rustic beauty and a “I-just-tossed-this-together” vibe. It’s all about the fruit, too, and those methodically beautiful rows. The buttery crust. Ground nuts like wet sand that cradle sour-sweet, jammy fruit. 

HOW TO MAKE IT

Make the pate brisee: Place flour and salt in a bowl and run a whisk through. Sprinkle the butter on top and work it in with a pastry cutter, until the mixture resembles coarse sand with the butter in pea-sized chunks. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of ice water and vinegar in and work it in with the pastry cutter or your hands. Sprinkle more liquid, a little at a time, until the dough comes together. Chill for at least 1 hour.

Make the tart: Slice the prune plums into eighths; set aside. In a small bowl, combine the flour, ground nuts, light brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt; set aside.

Roll out the chilled pate brisee into a large rectangle, about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Don’t worry about rough edges—the galette forgives all.

Spread the ground nut mixture onto the galette, leaving about 3 inches on all sides. Arrange the plum slices in alternate directions, row by row. Sprinkle with sugar.

Fold the edges over the fruit. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with more granulated sugar. Chill for 30 mins. Preheat oven to 425 degrees, while the galette chills.

Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 400, then continue baking for 35 minutes until the crust achieves a deep burnished color, and then fruit bubbles in the crevices.

Drizzle with heavy cream, or serve with a scoop of ice cream.

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