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Plum Galette

Servings: 8
Comments:
Galette

Definition: [gah-LEHT] Hailing from France, a galette is a round, rather flat cake made of flaky-pastry dough, yeast dough or sometimes unleavened dough. The term also applies to a variety of tarts, both savory and sweet, and there are as many variations as there are French regions. They may be topped with fruit, jam, nuts, meat, cheese, etc. Galette des Rois, the traditional cake served during Twelfth Night festivities, often contains a bean or other token, which is guaranteed to bring the recipient good luck.

Copyright (c) 1995 by Barron's Educational Series, from The New Food Lover's Companion, Second Edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst


This is a rustic fruit tart, prepared simply with fresh plums, butter, almonds and sugar. The crust wraps around the fruit without the need for a tart or pie dish. The color is rich - burgundy and golden, the sugar making a beautiful glaze on the fruit.


Ingredients:
Galette Pastry:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
12 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 to 1/2 cup ice water as needed

Filling:
1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons ground almonds
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 pounds large plums--halved, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small bits


Instructions:
Making the Pastry:

Mix the flour, salt, and sugar together in a bowl. Cut in the butter by hand or using a mixer with a paddle attachment, leaving some pea-sized chunks. Sprinkle the ice water over the top by the tablespoon and toss it with the flour mixture until you can bring the dough together into a ball. Press it into a disk and refrigerate for 15 minutes if the butter feels soft.

To form a galette, roll it out on a lightly floured counter into a 14-inch irregular circle about 1/8 inch thick. Fold it into quarters and transfer it to the back of a sheet pan or a cookie sheet without sides. Unfold it. It will be larger than the pan.

Make the filling: In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the sugar with the ground almonds and flour. Spread this mixture evenly over the dough to within 2 inches of the edge. Arrange plum wedges on top and dot with the bits of butter. Sprinkle all but 1 teaspoon of the remaining 1/3 cup sugar over the fruit. Fold the edges of the dough up over the plums to creates a 2-inch border. (If the dough feels cold and firm, wait for a few minutes until it softens to prevent it from cracking.) Sprinkle the border with the reserved 1 teaspoon sugar.

Bake the galette in the middle of the oven for about 1 hour, until the fruit is very soft and the crust is richly browned. If any juices have leaked onto the baking sheet, slide a knife under the galette to release it from the sheet. Let the galette cool to room temperature before serving.

Makes 8 servings.


Source: Vino.com
Date: July 31, 2003