Simple Peach Galette

When Maggy was in Italy a few weeks ago, she texted, “The peaches are gorgeous, and I need a fruit galette recipe!” The only peach galette recipe on our site contained cream cheese, an ingredient she couldn’t get. By the time I could get back with her to suggest mascarpone, she had already made a new plan, adapting another of our pie recipes, which she wrote back to say came out great.

She and I were together Forth of July weekend, and when I pulled out the flat of fragrant peaches I had bought, the first thing she thought of was to replicate her peach galette. Since this free-form tart would be simple—just peaches, sugar, cornstarch, and almond extract, we decided a from-scratch crust was important. Adapting my pie dough recipe, I swapped healthier coconut oil for shortening (every little bit helps!) which worked well. The resulting crust was flavorful, flakey, and crisp.

When preparing the galette we were tempted to gussy it up with spices, almond paste, a crumble topping, a little booze. And when we were serving it, we almost caved with a dollop of whipped cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream. I’m glad we didn’t. Simple Peach Galette exemplified what we three cooks know, but still need to be reminded of from time to time. Use good ingredients, and keep it simple.

Simple Peach Galette

 

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by: Three Many Cooks

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• ½ stick (4 tablespoons) butter, quartered lengthwise, cut into1/2-inch pieces, and frozen until solid
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, refrigerated
• 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) cold cream cheese
• 3 tablespoons ice water
• 1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup cornmeal
• 6 tablespoons sugar, divided, plus extra for sprinkling
• ½ teaspoon, plus a pinch of salt, divided
• 3 cups peeled, pitted, and sliced fresh peaches (about 4 medium-large)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 egg white

Instructions

1. Cut butter, cream cheese, and refrigerated coconut oil into ½-inch pieces and set in separate small bowls in the freezer. Make ice water.
2. Mix flour, cornmeal 2 tablespoons sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt in a food processor fitted with the metal blade to combine. Add butter; toss to break up butter cubes and coat with flour mixture. Plus 4 times, 1 long second each (say 1 chimpanzee, two chimpanzees etc. for each pulse). Break cream cheese and shortening into flour mixture; toss to coat. Pulse another 4 or 5 times, one long second each, until fats are pea and fine gravel size. Dump mixture into a medium bowl and rub flour/fat mixture through fingertips to blend. Stir water into mixture with a fork until dough clumps form. Press dough clumps together with palm of hand to form a cohesive ball. Press ball on bowl bottom to gather remaining scraps, dipping fingertips in water and flicking it onto bowl bottom if scraps refuse to adhere to the dough ball.
3. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, then press on it to form a thick disk. Refrigerate until cold and firm, at least 1 hour. (Can be refrigerated up to 2 days or double wrapped in plastic and frozen up to 2 months)
4. When ready to bake the galette, adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Place peaches in a medium bowl. Add remaining ¼ sugar, cornstarch, almond extract, and a pinch of salt; toss to coat
5. Roll pie dough on a lightly floured surface to about 13-inches in diameter. Scatter peach filling evenly over pie dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold pastry border over the fruit. Brush dough perimeter with egg white and sprinkle with a little sugar.
6. Bake galette until golden brown and bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes. Loosen with a metal spatula and slide onto a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.

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