A galette is the rustic, carefree cousin of pie, but it’s no less delicious. This fig galette has a fragrant layer of almond frangipane (with a recipe for frangipane) cradling a topping of sweet Golden Figs in a flaky, buttery pastry shell. It’s a beautiful and simple way to enjoy the last days of summer or celebrate the beginning of fall.
Fig Galette Pointers: How to Get a Flaky Crust
Making the pastry dough for the fig galette is very similar to making pie dough. One important tip to keep in mind is that the dough should stay as cold as possible. If it gets too warm, the butter will start melting and the final baked pastry won’t be as flaky. You want to keep the butter as cold as possible, and make sure to process the dough just until it starts coming together and the butter is still in distinct bits mixed with the flour. If the dough starts getting warm, pop it back in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes to let it rest and cool down.
Folding the dough several times also helps create the layers of flour and butter that result in a flakier pastry for the fig galette. If you don’t want to go through the process, you can simply chill the dough and roll it out, but it’s worth the extra bit of time and effort to do the turns; your fig galette will be just that much lighter and crisper.
Fig Galette: Recipe for Frangipane
The frangipane filling gives a bit of nutty richness to contrast with the figs. You only need a thin layer as it puffs up during baking to form a soft, pillowy cushion for the figs.
Sun-Maid and Orchard Choice premium California Dried Figs are the star of this fig galette. Go with Golden Figs for a nutty, delicate sweetness or make it with Mission Figs for the familiar fig flavor you’ve loved since childhood. To give the dried figs a bit more juiciness and intensity of flavor, they are simmered in mix of water, jam, and cinnamon until they have absorbed some of the liquid and are plump. Add a drizzle of honey over the final baked fig galette to finish off the presentation.
Fig Galette with Frangipane
Ingredients
Galette Puff Pastry
- 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup (5 ounces or 10 TBSP) unsalted butter , very cold, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 45 ml (45g) water , ice cold
Frangipane
- 1/2 cup ground blanched almonds or almond meal
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 large egg
- 3 TBSP unsalted butter , cut into small pieces
- 1 TBSP all-purpose flour
Fig Topping
- 4 ounces Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Figs
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup fig jam (or other flavor like strawberry)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- Egg white for egg wash
- Turbinado sugar for sprinkling
- Honey to glaze as desired
Instructions
Make the Puff Pastry
- Combine the flour, butter, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Mix the ingredients together on low speed until the mixture is shaggy and resembles cornmeal, with visible pieces of butter still present. Do not let it turn into a solid ball of dough.
- Add in the water and mix on low speed just until the dough starts to come together; again, don't let the dough turn into one solid lump. There should still be little pieces of butter and the dough should be sticky.
- Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and form into a square. If the kitchen is warm and the dough is very soft and sticky, place it on a sheet pan and chill in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes until it firms up enough to work with.
- Using flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking, roll out the dough, about 1/2-inch thick and in the shape of a rectangle. The dimensions are not important—a roughly rectangle shape is fine, but try to keep the edges straight and square with each other so when you fold the dough over the edges will line up evenly.
- To do a single turn on the dough, imagine the long side of the rectangle divided into thirds. Fold one end third over onto the middle third, then fold the other end third over on top. Make sure the edges are lined up a sevenly as possible.
- Rotate the dough ninety degrees and roll the trifold out again to about 1/2-inch thickness and in the shape of a rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds again.
- Repeat this process one more time so you have done a total of three turns. If at any point the dough starts becoming very soft, let it rest in the refrigerator for a little bit before working on it some more. Wrap the dough up in plastic and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the Figs
- Slice dried figs into quarters. Combine with water, jam, and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and then lower temperature to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes until the mixture has thickened slightly and the figs are moist. Make the frangipane while the figs are cooling.
Make the Frangipane
- Combine ground almonds and sugar in a food processor. Add almond extract, ground cinnamon, egg, and butter and process until smooth. Add in the flour and process just until incorporated. You can use the frangipane immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Make the Galette
- Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4-inch thick.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the pastry into an approximately 8” – 9"circle. Spread a thin layer of the frangipane over the bottom of the pastry circle, leaving a 1" border clear. Do not make the frangipane too thick or it will puff out and make the galette lose its shape.
- Arrange the figs on the frangipane. Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the figs.
- Fold the border of the pastry up and over the fruit, pleating the edges together. Brush the edges with a little beaten egg white and sprinkle turbinado sugar over them.
- Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, rotating halfway through.The pastry should puff up and turn golden brown. Place galette on a wire rack and drizzle with honey as desired. Let cool slightly before serving.
