Galettes are one of my favourite desserts to whip up, as they take out all the fuss of shaping a tart but still manage to impress with their beautiful simplicity and rustic elegance. The strawberries tossed in lemon and sumac give a real tangy and summery feel to this dessert which bakes to a lovely jammy texture with a glorious colour. However, this pastry recipe is so versatile, as it can filled with whatever fruits are in season at the time; apples, peaches and pears all work beautifully well with the spiced frangipane almond filling and you can even try sprinkling crushed amaretti biscuits on the base for real finesse and crunchy texture.
INGREDIENTS
For the Pastry:
250g plain flour
50g caster sugar
¼ tsp salt
150g cold butter, diced and chilled
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp cold water
2 tbsp demerara sugar
25g flaked almonds
1 egg, lightly beaten
For the Filling:
200g caster sugar
200g butter
200g ground almonds
2 eggs
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
400g fresh strawberries, quartered
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 tbsp sumac
25g icing sugar
METHOD
1. To make the pastry by hand, place the flour and diced butter in a large bowl and rub together with your fingertips to form fine breadcrumbs. Mix the egg and water and add to the dough, mixing to form large flakes. Bring these together and knead gently into a ball. In a food processor, blitz the flour and chilled butter into fine breadcrumbs then add the egg and water and pulse briefly as big flakes of dough form. Take out the dough and gently bring it together, kneading gently into a ball. Be careful not to overwork the dough. Gently press the pastry into a flat disc shape, pushing together any large cracks. Wrap in cling film and leave to chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
2. Prepare the filling by whisking the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Whisk in the eggs, ground almonds and spices until you have a smooth paste.
3. Toss the strawberries in a bowl with the lemon rind and juice.
4. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C/gas 4.
5. Take the pastry out of the fridge and on a sheet of baking paper, roll out to a large circle, about 30cm diameter and 3mm thick, pressing any cracks together. Trim around the edge to neaten up to a rough circle. Carefully lift the sheet of baking paper with the pastry onto a large baking tray.
6. Spread the frangipane over the base of the pastry, leaving a 2cm border around the edge of the circle. Scatter over the chopped strawberries for a more rustic look, or alternatively finely slice them and arrange them in a neat circle. Scatter over the flaked almonds.
7. Fold over the edges of the pastry and crimp to seal with lightly wet fingers to help the pastry stick. Place the tray back in the fridge to chill for at least 20 minutes before baking.
8. Whisk the egg and use a pastry brush to lightly brush over the folded rim of the galette. Sprinkle the demerara sugar over the edges for a nice crunchy texture when baked.
9. Place the galette in the oven for 25 minutes until the pastry is cooked through and golden. Leave to stand for 10 minutes before sifting over the icing sugar then sprinkling over the sumac to give the strawberries a shiny glaze. Slice and serving warm with creme fraiche .