Cherry Almond Galette
Can I be completely transparent? I’ve been sitting at my computer for 30 minutes typing and erasing words I think I want to share with you. I keep grasping at thoughts that I’d ordinarily be able to blab about incessantly, but for some reason I’m unable to explain it in a way that makes sense. Call it writer’s block or call it Mommy brain, but I’ll just go ahead and chalk it up to a whole bunch of feels that are hard to put to words. Here’s where it all started:
I made this cherry almond galette with my daughter. Always the kitchen helper, Aimee recently discovered how much fun the cherry coring tool was. She perched herself on a kitchen stool and plucked stems off of glossy Rainiers while I punched the pits out of the fruit and into the trash. Eventually, she convinced me to let her take over, and what was supposed to be a quick hour of baking turned into a day long cherry-stained date for two in the kitchen. I love to share in special moments like this with my kids, but raise your hand if there are times you just need to get. the. job. done.
When Your Life is Not Your Own
This kind of thing happens all the time. Now, as a mother of three, I’m finding that my life and agenda are not my own. It could be because my schedule is dictated by bedtimes and breastfeeding schedules. It could be because my car, once spotless, is now littered with action figures and cereal crumbs. Even my office is slowly being taken over by a slew of broken crayons and crude drawings of rainbows and stick people. Whatever the reason, my time or my space, this season of motherhood has been one of the truest dying of self that I’ve ever experienced, so much so that my life is hardly recognizable from what it was even months ago.
“I need to know how to still be me.”
Although people always say that motherhood is instinctual, I’d argue that most of it is still really hard to figure out. Finding a balance of who I am as Kate versus who I am as Aimee, George, and Charlie’s Mom is basically an illusive teeter totter of grey area that I usually have zero clue how to navigate. Part of me feels incredibly selfish to want to maintain some semblance of self independent of my children, but the other part knows that in order to stay sane I need to know how to still be me.
So how do you do that? How do you fully embrace a new life you’ve been gifted, a life that you’ve chosen, and still maintain an identity that is even remotely recognizable? I just don’t know yet. I imagine the reality falls somewhere in-between and eventually I’ll be able to sum it up in a few words. For now it’s a mystery. I’ll fill you in if I ever figure it out, but for now, let’s just talk about the things I do know. Let’s get back to the cherry almond galette.
Cherry Almond Galette
These are seasonal cherries topped with an all-butter, almond and sugar-flecked pie crust. In between the two layers is a quick and dirty frangipane that sweetens the pastry and adds a hint of flavor and texture. Of course, you already know I made the crust with my love-you-long-time fave, Kerrygold. Their butter is unmatched when it comes to simple recipes like this, and when there is only a few ingredients to a dish you need to let each one sing. The crust is buttery and tender, and every ounce of thanks goes to that quality butter. Amen.
Making the Galette
The frangipane filling for this cherry almond galette is delicately sweetened and flavored. I think that little bit of filling helps to keep the crust from becoming soggy. Plus, the almond flavor pairs perfectly with the cherries. Although I ordinarily don’t mind using frozen fruit, I kinda insist on fresh fruit when it comes to galettes because it always bakes so beautifully. Trust me on this.
While making this cherry almond galette may appear to be tricky, it’s actually incredibly forgiving and way easier than a full pie. Simply roll out your chilled dough and spread the frangipane filling into the center. Top the filling with loads of sugared cherries. The rustic nature of a galette practically begs for messy folds of dough; don’t worry too much about precision when you crimp the edges around the fruit. Just let it come together organically and I can almost promise it will bake beautifully. After all, remember that Aimee helped me make this galette. If a four-year-old can crush it, grown-ups can too, okay?
Thank you for listening to me banter about motherhood. I hope my rambling hasn’t completely deterred you from giving this cherry almond galette a try. As always, thank you for supporting Kerrygold and other brands that make Wood & Spoon possible. I hope you’ll give their goods a try for all of your special bakes like this one. Happy Thursday and happy baking!
If you like this cherry almond galette you should try:
PrintCherry Almond Galette
This cherry almond galette has a sweet frangipane filling and an all-butter pie crust!
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 9 Servings
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
For the pie dough:
- 1–1/4 cups (175 gm) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 gm) unsalted butter, cold
- ¼ cup ice water
- For the filling:
- ¾ cup (90 gm) almond meal
- ½ cup (100 gm) sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 4 cups (1–1/4 lbs) stemmed, pitted, and halved cherries
- 1–1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or bourbon
- 1 teaspoon orange zest, optional
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar, optional
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds, optional
Instructions
To prepare the dough:
- Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until they are reduced to pea-sized clumps. The remainder of the mixture should look like a sandy consistency. Pour in the ice water and use the pastry cutter or a large fork to bring the dough together into a shaggy mixture. Then dump the contents of the bowl out onto a clean counter and work it into a ball of dough. Do not overwork the mixture. Flatten out the ball into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge to chill for at least two hours and up to a week.
To prepare the galette:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan.
- Combine the almond meal, ¼ cup sugar, vanilla, and half of the beaten egg in a small bowl into a pasty consistency. In a separate bowl, combine the cherries, remaining ¼ cup sugar, cornstarch, booze, and zest. Set aside.
Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out onto a floured surface into a 12” circle. Spread the almond mixture in the center of the circle, leaving a 2” border around the perimeter of the circle. Dump the cherry mixture on top of the almond filling. Fold the edges of the pie dough up and over the cherries, gently pressing the dough to seal on top of itself as you fold. Use a pastry brush to brush a thin layer of the remaining beaten egg on top of the dough. Sprinkle the dough with the turbinado sugar and sliced almonds. Bake in the preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling. If you notice you crust is getting dark and the inside juices aren’t bubbling at all you can make a little aluminum foil shield to cover the dough around the perimeter of your galette. Allow to cool and set prior to slicing and serving with ice cream!
