These divine little beauties are everything and more I want from a galette, from perfectly ripe peaches and apricots, and more importantly from a baked summer-time dessert. Because if we’re turning on the oven in this heat, it better be for good reason, right? Well these most definitely were worth every ounce of extra heat they added to the kitchen and our apartment. Not only are they gorgeous, they taste utterly scrumptious. And adding a vanilla and pistachio swirled scoop of ice cream, was just the cherry on top. ooh that wouldn’t be a bad idea either….
Let’s start with the filling. It’s fairly simple and has the most complimentary ingredients to help those jewel-toned stone fruits shine. I paired peaches and apricots together, because right now in Istanbul both are gloriously sweet and I couldn’t pick just one. Then the tiniest hint of sugar (both brown and white,) because why not, some lemon juice to bring out the pucker, a little ginger and fresh grated nutmeg because they work, the staples like vanilla and salt and then cornstarch to make it nice and saucy and a little bit of fresh thyme for it’s beauty and herbtastic charm. Then the secret pop ingredient, the bourbon. It’s ever so subtly there in just the right amount. The aroma alone once it’s mixed with the fresh peaches and the rest of the yumminess assures you, you’ve made the right decision. And then when it bakes off in the galettes, you still know it’s there, but it’s in no way overpowering. All the ingredients truly work harmoniously resulting in a sweet sweet song.
And then comes the crust. I’ll admit, as a pastry chef, and a former culinary student, my second least favorite thing to work with was pie dough. I don’t know why, just not my jam. I’ve made some pretty great ones, but I generally avoid making it whenever I can. But when the time calls to whip some up for one recipe or another, I make sure it’s not fussy in the least bit. That’s where this crust gets a place on my nice list.
It’s a breeze to throw together, by hand or in a machine (my preference.) Then likes a little chill in the fridge or freezer the way most crusts do, and then you roll it out and if you’ve made it correctly, this part should not give you trouble. I’m telling you, I’ve even been pulled away several times by my needy little monkeys and have had to leave the crust just lying there on the counter. Gasp. In the professional kitchen, I could never do this. I like to work with fairly cold dough and get it back into the fridge or straight to the oven before any of that butter melts out. And so once pie dough came out of the fridge, the focus stayed on the task at hand. But in real life or should I say mom life, flexibility is key. So if for some reason or another you have to walk away momentarily, fret not, you should still be able to put together some cutie-pie galettes. Just fold and patch it up where necessary. The rustic nature of a galette definitely lends to this benefit.
And now for the finishing. Most pies, tarts, galettes or things of the like consisting of baked or fresh fruit often call for a quick brushing of an apricot glaze of sorts to glisten the fruit up in the most beautiful way. And in the home kitchen, one might not always have apricot jam at the ready. So if you’re like me, you’d end up buying a not-so-cheap jar (because you want the good/ real fruit stuff) and then wouldn’t have too much use for it after. And in case you’re thinking, use it for PB&J’s, my kids prefer the J to be of some red berry variety.
And this my friends, is where the extra fabulousness of these baby galettes comes in. Now, remember that wonderful fragrant aroma I mentioned somewhere above when the bourbon joins forces with the peaches and apricots? Well once you divvy up the fruit onto the rolled dough, you’ll find yourself with a decent amount of that juice left. My first thought was to drink it (it tastes ah-mazing,) but I wasn’t too keen on drinking the cornstarch, and then I thought what a good cocktail it would make, but again the cornstarch (don’t worry, fab peach cocktail coming up,) and then I just decided to pop it on the stove to get it slightly bubbly so I could use that to glaze the peaches and add that fine flavor back into the baked galettes. Bingo, worked like charm and brought everyhthing together. Waste not, want not.
I really do hope you give these a try. You will make someone (or just yourself) very very happy as a result. And if you do, it is a GOOD GOOD idea to have some vanilla or pistachio ice cream right there ready and waiting to be scooped onto the still warm, rustic little pie babies…..Please be a peach and leave a comment or tag me on Instagram @a_treat_life if you try these Peach, Apricot, Bourbon & Thyme Mini Galettes. Happy baking loves.
Peach, Apricot, Bourbon & Thyme Mini Galettes
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 5-6 medium (about 450g) peaches, sliced (use the ripest peaches you can find)
- 2-3 small ripe apricots, sliced
- 2 tbsps brown sugar
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
- pinch kosher salt
- 3 tbsps bourbon whiskey
- 1 1/2 tbsps fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsps thyme leaves, divided
- 1 egg (for the egg wash)
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp cold butter, chopped into small cubes
For the pastry crust:
- 2 1/4 cups (288g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsps granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 6 oz cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 3 tbsps cold milk
Instructions
For the pastry:
-
Begin by making the crust. Add the flour, sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Then add the cold, cubed butter and process until the butter is pea-sized and the mixture resemble a course meal. Add the milk and pulse until the dough just starts to come together. It's ok if it's a tad shaggy.
-
Pour the dough out onto a clean counter and form into a round. Then divide the round in half and form each into a disc and wrap each disc tightly with plastic wrap. Place into the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Then start the filling.
For the filling:
-
In a large bowl add the peach and apricot slices. (I leave the skins on but feel free to remove.) Then add the next 9 ingredients ending with the vanilla extract. And add one teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves. Gently mix everything together to completely combine. Set aside and line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
-
When the dough has chilled enough, remove each disc from the fridge. Working with one disc at a time. Divide it into 3 pieces. Roll each piece out in between 2 pieces of parchment paper into a somewhat even circle, about 6-7" in diameter. Place each rolled disc onto the parchment lined sheet pan, so there's 3 discs per pan. Repeat with the other disc of dough for a total of 6 galettes. Using a slotted spoon add about a 1/4 cup of the filling into the center of each round, not including the juice. Divide any remaining fruit evenly among the galettes. And be sure to reserve the leftover juice.
-
Then fold the edges of the dough up over the fruit to create about an inch border. Place them in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.
-
While the galettes are chilling, preheat the oven to 375F/ 190C and set one oven rack towards the middle top and one towards the middle bottom. Prepare an egg wash by whisking the egg with 2 tsps of water.
-
Once the galettes have chilled, brush the crust edges with the egg wash and sprinkle the edges and the middle of the galettes evenly with the 1 tbsp of granulated sugar. Dot the filling of each with the small, cubed pieces of butter and sprinkle the remaining 1 tsp of fresh thyme leaves on top of the galettes.
-
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Rotate the pans half way through baking. The galettes are done when the filling is starting to bubble slightly over the edges and the crust is nice and golden brown.
-
Once you remove the galettes from the oven, pour the reserved juice into a small saucepan over medium heat. While stirring bring the mixture to a boil and let bubble for a few seconds to create a glossy glaze. Once done, brush the tops of the warm filling with the glaze. Let them cool slightly before serving as is or topping with some vanilla or pistachio ice cream if desired. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*Be sure to use sweet ripe fruit for the best galettes.
*The bourbon can be omitted if you desire, but replace with a little more lemon juice and vanilla.
*Tapioca or Arrowroot powders can be subbed for the cornstarch.
*The thyme adds a nice and different floral note but you can leave out if needed.
