The Professional Cinderella

Summer is well and truly over for another year, and with it goes the best of the season’s stone fruit. It may not be good enough to eat fresh, but peaches, nectarines and plums are all still worth-while additions to your baking. We had this galette a few weeks back and it was delicious. I’ve since made it substituting halved strawberries for the peaches, and it was just as delightful.

Peach and Almond Galette

Adapted from Tilly”s Table

Pastry

• 200g of plain flour, plus extra to dust
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 1/4 tsp seal salt
• 125g butter, cold, cubed
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbsp cold water

Frangipane

• 60g butter, very soft
• 55g caster sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 80g almond meal
• 2 tbsp plain flour

Topping

• 600g (about 6) ripe peaches
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 3 tbsp slivered almonds
• 2 tbsp apricot jam

1. First, make the pastry by combining flour, caster sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Blitz until it is the consistency of damp sand. Add the vinegar and cold water. Blitz until just combined.
2. Tip mixture out onto a bench and knead until it just comes together. Shape into a flat disc, wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. This step can be done the day before.
3. When you’re ready to assemble the galette, preheat oven to 170C, and place an oven tray in the oven to heat up. Cut a sheet of baking paper the same sizer as your tray and set aside. Remove pastry from refrigerator 30 mins before you are ready to use it.
4. Make the frangipane by combining softened butter and caster sugar in a mixing bowl. Use hand beaters to beat until light. Add half the beaten egg (saving the rest for egg wash), followed by the almond meal, flour and salt. Mix until well combined and set aside.
5. Cut the peaches in half, discarding the pits, then cut into 2cm slices.place the fruit in a bowl and sprinkle over the caster sugar and cornflour. Pour over lemon juice and vanilla bean paste. Toss gently to combine.
6. Next, prepare the pastry. Lightly dust your sheet of baking paper with the extra flour, then, using a rolling pin, roll the rested pastry out into a large circle, about 32cm in diameter. Spread the frangipane in an even layer over the pastry, leaving a 6cm border around the edge.
7. Layer peach slices over the frangipane, discarding any juice at the bottom of the bowl. carefully fold the pastry border over to enclose the edges of the fruit, pinching and pleating its in place. Brush the border with the reserved egg and press on silvered almonds.
8. Remove preheated tra from the oven and slide the galette, still on the baking paper, onto the tray. Bale for 45-55mins, or until the pastry is golden brown, the frangipane is cooked, and the fruit is starting to caramelise.
9. When the galette is cooked, heat the jam with 1 tsp of water until bubbling, then brush over the peaches to glaze.
10. Allow the galette to cool on the tray for 15 mins before serving warm, or cool completely and serve at room temperature. It is best eaten on the day it is made.

Heidi xx