Eagle Point
Look, there’s just no getting around the fact that apricots are in season during the hottest time of year and having the oven on any longer than necessary is undesirable, at least in my book it is. What IS desirable are easy and time-tested sweets that require as little oven time as possible, such as this recipe for Almond Apricot Galette.
Where I prefer to spend my time on a hot summer day is at one of my local orchards (Valley View Orchards) picking apricots, and that’s just what I did last week. Check out the gorgeous view! Read on for what became of them and how you can make one, too.
I confess. A galette, also known as crostata (and I’m Italian so I like how that rolls off my tongue!), won my kitchen competition against those laborious double crust pies long ago. I mean seriously, doesn’t that picture just knock you over!? So here goes, recipe and all. Give it a try and let me know in comments how yours turns out.
Key equipment:
- Rolling pin (or wine bottle :))
- Food processor, like Kitchen Aid: This will “cut in” the butter in about 10 seconds, far faster than the “two knives” and the pastry cutter methods.
- Large mixing bowl
- Unbleached parchment paper
- Large rimless baking sheet: The finished galette will slide right off rather than having to lift it off a rimmed baking sheet and risk breaking the whole thing apart.
This recipe will come together with ease if you organize yourself by measuring out all the ingredients ahead of time.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup ice water
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and placed in freezer
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher or Himalayan salt
Fresh apricots, about 10-14 depending on size, gently rinsed, dried and cut into quarters
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2-4 tablespoons organic cane sugar, depending on fruit sweetness
One egg white, slightly whisked to loosen
1/2 cup finely ground almonds, or almond meal
2 tablespoons cream (heavy or 1/2 and 1/2); or one egg whisked
Crust Prep:
Add ice cubes to 1/4 cup water and set in refrigerator.
Place flour, sugar, salt and vinegar (in that order) in food processor fitted with steel blade and pulse 3-4 times to mix. Sprinkle butter cubes on top of flour and pulse 10-12 times until cut into small chunks. Pour into large bowl. With clean, dry hands, quickly press flour and butter mixture between fingers to flatten the butter and more thoroughly coat it with the flour.
Return to bowl of food processor. Drizzle 1/4 cup of the ice water over the mixture and pulse until it forms a loose ball. Be careful not to over process.
Turn onto lightly floured surface, bring together into a uniform ball, cut in half and press each half into a 6 inch disk.
Wrap one disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour, or for up to overnight. Wrap the other half in plastic wrap or wax paper, and wrap again in tin foil. Freeze for another baking kind of day.
Combine cut apricots, cornstarch, and sugar in a large bowl and let sit on counter until dough is ready.
Assembly:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line rimless baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper. Set aside.
On lightly floured surface, roll dough into an 12-inch circle. Don’t worry if it isn’t perfectly round– it’s supposed to be rustic, remember? Roll dough onto rolling pin and place carefully on prepared baking sheet. Brush egg white on surface of dough and sprinkle with layer of ground almonds. This will help soak up the apricot juices so there’s less chance of a soggy bottom.
Arrange apricot quarters in concentric circles, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the border up and over the apricots, using your fingers to pleat the border as you go. Leave the center open as shown in photo. Lightly brush dough rim with cream and sprinkle almond slices all over.
Bake in lower third of oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown on top and bottom.
8 Servings.