Cherry Galette with Almond Cream

July 11, 2019

Cherry season is nearing its end, and if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to get your cherry fix, then I have a little something to share. Namely, this cherry galette. Like all galettes, the technique is simple and rustic—just roll out some pastry dough and dot it with fruits before curling the edges back up over the juicy filling. This recipe, however, adds a little something extra to the mix. Right underneath that cherry filling lays a layer of almond cream, spread thin enough that it won’t poof up and overcome the cherries while cookies, but thick enough that you taste it in each and every tart-sweet bite.

Almond cream is very easy to make, just throw some almond meal, butter, and spices in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth and fluffy. It’s my *favorite* filling for pastries, from croissants to galettes to doughnuts…you really can’t go wrong with any sweet application of it. And the nutty and warm notes of almond work almost suspiciously well with the slightly tart and very sweet cherries. It kind of makes me wonder what nature has up her sleeve when I taste flavors like these together. You’ll just have to try this cherry galette and see for yourself 🙂 And if you’re longing for more even more cherries in your life, I have some rolls and a shrub that are calling your name…

Cherry Galette with Almond Cream

This flakey and buttery pastry crust is filled with cinnamon-spiced cherries and a layer of sweet almond cream. It bakes up to a wonderfully nutty and fruity galette and takes hardly any time to make at all, perfect for a cherry-season-staple!

Cherry Almond Filling

1/4 cup almond meal
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoon honey
1 large egg (room temperature)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
14 oz cherries (pitted and halved)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Crust

1 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter (cold and hard)
3 – 5 tablespoons ice water
1 whole egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water (for egg wash)

For the crust, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl until combined. Grate the butter in the largest hole setting of your grater above the bowl, stopping to stir and coat the butter bits in the flour mixture every few minutes.
Pinch the mixture together with your fingertips until it resembles the texture of damp sand. Add the water, a tablespoon at a time, mixing it with a fork, until the dough just holds together when you squeeze a fistful of it in your hand. Pat it into a rough circle shape, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
For the filling, beat together the almond meal, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, 1 tablespoon of the honey, the egg, and 1/4 teaspoon of the vanilla extract until pale and fluffy, about 3 – 5 minutes at medium speed. Set aside. In a medium bowl, toss together the cherries, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, and cinnamon until the cherries are coated in the mixture.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface until it is about 13 inches in diameter. Transfer to a lipped baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Spread the almond paste filling in a thin layer across the center, leaving an empty 2-inch border around the edges of the crust. Arrange the cherries, cut side down, in concentric circles on top of the almond filling. Fold the empty crust edge over the filling, and brush the exposed folded crust with the egg wash.
Bake in the oven until the crust is golden and the cherries have wrinkled slightly, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.