Cherry Almond Galette

 

About a month ago I mentioned on Insta that I had checked out a book "Baking for 2" at the local Library.  It gave me good ideas on how to cut things down for 2 people or 2-4 servings.  This gives better portion control and not a lot of leftovers.  Desserts are a weekend treat here so I don't need left overs.

This recipe is an amalgamation of a couple of recipes in my repertoire of desserts.  What I like about the galette is that its a free form dessert kind of a cross between a pie and a tart, just no pie plate or tart shell to fight it out with.  Super simple, stupid easy even, to roll out a circle of dough, fill it and flip the edges towards the center.  

Cherry Almond Galette

Pastry 

• 300 grams AP Flour (approx 1 c + 2T) 
• 1/2 t fine sea salt
• 1 T sugar
• 125 grams butter (approx 1 stick butter + 1 T)
• 4 T ice water

Filling

• 12 oz bag frozen sour cherries - thawed
• 1/3 C sugar
• 1 T corn starch
• pinch salt
• 1/4 almond extract
• 1/4 coarse ground almonds
• 2 T sugar (I use the turbinado dark coarse sugar)
• 1 egg beaten

Preheat oven to 400F when you are starting to assemble the galettes.

Combine thawed cherries and all their juices with the sugar, corn starch and salt into a non reactive pan.

Cook over medium heat folding gently until sugar and corn starch are dissolved. Cook over medium low heat just until the filling is translucent and thickened to a syrupy consistency.  Softly fold the mixture with a spatula taking care to NOT mash up the cherries.   Once consistency reached, remove from heat and stir in almond extract.  Cool to room temperature.

While filling cools make the pastry.  In food processor add flour, sugar, and salt.  Pulse a couple of times to combine those dry ingredients.  Add cold butter to mixture, pulse until the butter is covered with flour and about the size of peas.  Add cold water.  Pulse a few times until a dough ball begins to form.  Remove dough and gently combine any crumbs left in the bowl.  Dived into 4 equal balls and flatten each slightly.  Wrap dough in cling film and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

To assemble line a baking sheet with parchment or silpat liner.  Take one ball of dough.  On a floured board roll dough out to an 8" circle.  Place dough onto  lined baking sheet.  Put 1 Tablespoon ground almonds in center and spread gently on dough leaving 1 to 1 1/2 inches border.  Add one quarter of the cooled cherry filling and spread lightly over almonds maintaining the clean border.  Pick up one edge of pastry and fold it up towards center resting on the filling.  Working around the whole galette.  Repeat process with remaining three dough balls.

Once all of the galettes have been assembled.  Brush the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle a quarter of the sugar on the pastry.  Chill in refrigerator until oven is preheated.  Bake 35-40 minutes until golden brown and filling is bubbly.  Place the baked pastry on a cooling rack until ready to eat.

Take warm galette and top with some good ice cream or whipped cream.

Butter Almond Coffee Cake

Perfect for a chilly winter morning is this Butter Almond Coffee Cake.  Its pretty simple to make, a few steps that in themselves are easy, just several of those steps to get to this wonderfully almondy coffee cake.

The real key to this coffee cake is to really whip the egg sugar mixture as there is no leavening in the cake.  That right, no baking soda or baking powder, its lightness comes from the air whipped into the eggs in the beginning.  Don't be afraid to whip it long and hard (wasn't that a Devo Song?) until the beater leaves trails in the egg mixture and it falls in ribbons from the whip. Takes about 3-4 minutes to get to that stage. If you don't do this your cake with be dense.

Butter Almond Coffee Cake

Cake:

• 1/2 Cup Sugar 
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/2 t. Vanilla
• 1/2 t almond extract
• 2/3 Cup Butter, plus small amount for pan
• 2 Eggs
• 3/4 Cup Flour

Glaze:

• 2 T. Milk
• 1 T. Flour
• 1/4 C. Butter
• 2 oz. Blanched almonds, sliced
• 4 T. Sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a 9" baking pan.
Melt 2/3 C. butter and allow to cool.
Using a mixer with whisk attachment, beat eggs, vanilla, almond extract, salt and sugar in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.  Slowly add butter and flour to egg mixture and stir in on low speed.
Pour batter into an prepared cake pan. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
In a saucepan, combine remaining 1/4 cup of butter, 4 T. sugar, milk, and flour. Bring to a boil and add almonds.  Spread cake with glaze and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until just beginning to turn light brown and crispy.
Allow to cool on a rack for 10 minutes or so before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature.