Maple Peach Galette

I made this Almond Pear Galette a few weeks ago, and it was astonishingly good. I'd never made a galette before, but they're so easy! Basically, a galette is a type of French pastry: a freeform rustic tart or flat crusty cake. I had some fresh peaches in the house, and knew I had to try a peach version.

I absolutely love the crust, it comes together so quickly and is easy to work with. The thin cream filling layer is flavored with maple extract and chopped pecans. The peaches look so pretty arranged in circles, and are seasoned with cinnamon and sugar. Topped off with some sweetened whipped cream, more pecans, and a drizzle of maple syrup, this dessert is fit for royalty!


Maple Peach Galette

Pastry:
1 1/4 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
5 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoon buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream:
1 large egg white
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons minced pecans
2 teaspoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring (I used Mapeline brand)

Filling:
4 firm, ripe peaches
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Garnish: (optional)

sweetened whipped cream

chopped pecans

real maple syrup

Directions:
Pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a food processor 30 seconds to combine. Add butter. Pulse until butter pieces are the size of peas. Add buttermilk and vanilla; pulse until dough just comes together. Form dough into a disk, dusting lightly with flour. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour. Note: If you don't have a food processor, you can combine the ingredients in a large bowl and use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter, and use a fork to stir in the buttermilk and vanilla.

For the cream filling, whisk egg white and confectioners' sugar in a bowl until frothy, about 1 minute. Add pecans, butter and maple flavoring. Whisk together, refrigerate until ready to use.

Combine sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch in a small bowl, set aside. Slice peaches into thin slices, no more than 1/4 inch thick. Toss together with the sugar mixture in a large bowl, making sure all slices are evenly coated.

Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly dust a sheet of wax paper with flour; place dough on top and lightly dust with flour.  Roll out the dough into a circle about 12 inches in diameter.  Invert dough circle onto a baking sheet lined with a sheet of parchment paper. If desired, trim around edges of dough for a more even circle.  Spread maple cream filling over dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Arrange peach slices in concentric circles over cream. Fold edges of dough over peaches, crimping dough to enclose the edges. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until peaches are tender and crust has just turned barely golden. (Cover top with a sheet of foil if it begins to overbrown.) Remove; cool on baking sheet 5 minutes. Transfer (on parchment) to rack to cool completely.

When ready to serve, garnish galette slices with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream. Sprinkle with chopped pecans, and drizzle with real maple syrup. Serves 8. Enjoy!

Adapted from here.

Note: You really need to use the maple flavoring in the cream filling, and not maple syrup. The maple flavoring is extremely concentrated, so it allows for a stronger flavor without all the liquid that maple syrup would have.