BERRY GALETTE WITH FRANGIPANE AND ALMOND CRUST
SERVES
6-8
PREPARATION TIME
1 hour plus chilling
Bursting with autumnal flavours, Sara Hemsley’s berry galette is laden with jewel-like blackberries and blueberries and fragranced with frangipane for richness and depth.
Encased in crisp, buttery almond pastry, this beautifully rustic dish – inspired by French pâtissiers, yet rooted in the English countryside – is finished with a fragrant flourish of fresh thyme and toasted, sliced almonds for nutty crunch.
Homely, comforting and a feast for the eyes, it’s the perfect post-Sunday roast pud served with fresh cream – and a side order of bracing country walk. Use fresh or frozen berries and ring the changes seasonally with tart redcurrants and blackcurrants, or sweet raspberries and cherries depending on the time of year.
Food writer and content creator Sara uses our Professional kitchen knives to expertly dice the butter for the pastry and serves generous slices of her golden, fruit-filled galette with our Baguette Vintage cake server and Baguette Vintage pastry forks.
INGREDIENTS
For the almond pastry
250g plain flour
100g ground almonds
125g chilled butter, cubed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Pinch of salt
2 heaped tablespoons icing sugar
For the frangipane
100g butter, softened
100g caster sugar
100g ground almonds
20g plain flour
1 egg
For the filling
2 tbsp blackcurrant jam
300g fresh or frozen blackberries and blueberries
1 tbsp caster sugar
Zest from 1 orange
Leaves from small sprig of fresh thyme
1 beaten egg for eggwash
20g flaked almonds
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
METHOD:
1. Make the pastry. In a food processor, mix the flour and butter until combined to resemble breadcrumbs. Add the salt, icing sugar and ground almonds, then slowly add the beaten eggs until a soft dough is formed.
Alternatively, make it by hand, using your fingers to rub the butter with the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir through the salt, icing sugar and ground almonds, then add the beaten egg and mix to form a soft dough.
2. Tip the dough out onto a work surface dusted with flour, knead gently and form into a flat disc. Wrap in clingfilm and allow to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the frangipane. Beat the butter in a mixer or by hand until soft and light. Add the sugar and ground almonds followed by the flour and egg whisking continually. Place in a small bowl and leave to chill in the fridge for 10-15 minutes or until needed.
4. Take the pastry out of the fridge. Scatter a light dusting of flour over a work surface and roll out the pastry to a large circle, approximately 5mm thick. Place on a sheet of baking parchment.
5. Spread the jam over the centre of the pastry, leaving a 5cm gap around the edge. Place the frangipane in a piping bag and pipe over the jam or use a spoon to spread over in an even layer, being careful to maintain the gap around the edge free of filling.
6. Add the berries to a small bowl and stir in the sugar, orange zest and thyme leaves. Spoon half the berries over the frangipane and put the other half to one side in the fridge for later.
7. Brush a little of the egg wash around the empty edge of the pastry. Gently fold over the pastry edges all around to create a crust. Brush the outer pastry edge with the egg wash and scatter over the flaked almonds.
8. Place the galette and baking parchment on to a baking tray and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
9. Preheat oven to 180°C fan.
10. Place the galette on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, top with the remaining berries, place back in the oven and bake for a further 10-15 minutes or until the pastry is golden.
11. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Scatter a few thyme leaves over to decorate and serve warm with cream.
NOTES
-
1. Frozen berries will produce more liquid when baked. For best results keep frozen before using to prevent them thawing before placing in the galette.
-
2. Vary the filling by adding redcurrants and blackcurrants or raspberries and cherries to the blackberry and blueberry mix.
3. The dough and frangipane can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Divide the pastry into two to make two smaller galettes, adjust baking time.
1. Make the pastry. In a food processor, mix the flour and butter until combined to resemble breadcrumbs. Add the salt, icing sugar and ground almonds, then slowly add the beaten eggs until a soft dough is formed.
Alternatively, make it by hand, using your fingers to rub the butter with the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir through the salt, icing sugar and ground almonds, then add the beaten egg and mix to form a soft dough.
2. Tip the dough out onto a work surface dusted with flour, knead gently and form into a flat disc. Wrap in clingfilm and allow to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the frangipane. Beat the butter in a mixer or by hand until soft and light. Add the sugar and ground almonds followed by the flour and egg whisking continually. Place in a small bowl and leave to chill in the fridge for 10-15 minutes or until needed.
4. Take the pastry out of the fridge. Scatter a light dusting of flour over a work surface and roll out the pastry to a large circle, approximately 5mm thick. Place on a sheet of baking parchment.
5. Spread the jam over the centre of the pastry, leaving a 5cm gap around the edge. Place the frangipane in a piping bag and pipe over the jam or use a spoon to spread over in an even layer, being careful to maintain the gap around the edge free of filling.
6. Add the berries to a small bowl and stir in the sugar, orange zest and thyme leaves. Spoon half the berries over the frangipane and put the other half to one side in the fridge for later.
7. Brush a little of the egg wash around the empty edge of the pastry. Gently fold over the pastry edges all around to create a crust. Brush the outer pastry edge with the egg wash and scatter over the flaked almonds.
8. Place the galette and baking parchment on to a baking tray and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
9. Preheat oven to 180°C fan.
10. Place the galette on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, top with the remaining berries, place back in the oven and bake for a further 10-15 minutes or until the pastry is golden.
11. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Scatter a few thyme leaves over to decorate and serve warm with cream.
NOTES
-
1. Frozen berries will produce more liquid when baked. For best results keep frozen before using to prevent them thawing before placing in the galette.
-
2. Vary the filling by adding redcurrants and blackcurrants or raspberries and cherries to the blackberry and blueberry mix.
3. The dough and frangipane can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Divide the pastry into two to make two smaller galettes, adjust baking time.