Plums always remind me of the seasonal transition from summer to fall. Perfectly ripe and aromatic, especially now as we are half-way through September, plums are the perfect candidates for simple fruit desserts. This easy plum galette is bursting with flavor and is really as delicious as it looks!
Even those of you who might feel intimidated by forming and shaping the dough for a tart, you will find that making this rustic, free-form tart is almost fool-proof: all it takes is just rolling out the dough into a circle (or an oval), placing the filling in the center, and then, folding its edges over the fruit.
This galette is not overly sweet, so look for ripe and succulent plums at the market that will still hold their shape. I sometimes alternate red-skinned plums with burgundy-skinned plums for some visual contrast, but this is not necessary; the star will be whichever plum you choose! The photo above and the following two photos are examples of using two different types of plums, while the opening photo of the mini galette is an example of using just one color plum.
This recipe for easy plum galette comes only slightly adapted from Jacques Pépin. When a recipe is as perfect as this one, there is hardly anything that needs changing. The pâté brisée (the base for the galette) is buttery and flaky and I use it for all my sweet galettes. If you have a food processor, the dough comes together in just seconds.
Once you master this recipe, you can also try it with other seasonal fruits, like peaches, apricots or cherries at summer time, and apples and pears in the fall. Serve this tart at room temperature or slightly warm at the end of a meal with a scoop of good quality vanilla ice cream, or, indulge in a small sliver with your afternoon espresso. Either way, this plum galette is divine!
- For the pate brisee:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup ice water
- For the fillilling:
- ¼ cup (plus ⅓ cup) sugar
- 3 TBSPS ground almonds
- 3 TBSPS all-purpose flour
- 2 - 2¼ lbs. large plums, halved, pitted and cut into ½” wedges
- 3 TBSPS unsalted butter, cut into small bits
- ¼-½ cup apricot or raspberry preserves, seedless
- Make the pate brisee: Put the flour, butter and salt in a food processor and process for 5 seconds; the butter should still be visible and in small pieces. Add the ice water and process for 5 seconds longer, just until the dough comes together; you should still be able to see the butter bits.
- Form the dough: Remove the dough from the processor and gather it into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough, into a 16” to 17” round, about ⅛” thick. Drape the dough over the rolling pin and transfer it to a large baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Chill the dough until firm, about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°.
- Make the filling: In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup of the sugar with the ground almonds and flour. Spread this mixture evenly over the dough to within 2” of the edge. Arrange the plum wedges on top and dot with the butter. Sprinkle all but 2 teaspoons of the remaining ⅓ cup sugar over the fruit. Fold the edge of the dough up over the plums to create a 2” border. (If the dough feels cold and firm, wait for a few minutes until it softens to prevent it from cracking.) Sprinkle the border with the reserved 2 teaspoons of sugar.
- Bake the gallete: Place the galette in the middle of the oven and bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the fruit is very soft and the crust is nicely browned. If any juices have leaked onto the baking sheet, slide a knife under the galette to release it from the sheet. Evenly brush the preserves over the hot fruit. This will give them a nice glaze. Let the galette cool to room temperature before serving.
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Yum! This looks so good. I will try It!
Thanks Kathy! I hope yo do try it – I know you are going to like it! ?
This plum galette is fabulous!! Marilena, your instructions are so clear, and the beautiful pictures really help. I used a mixture of purple and red plums, as you suggested, and it was as pretty as it was delicious. For the glaze, I used seedless raspberry jam (Smuckers was the brand I found). The sweet tart plums with the jam glaze was just perfect! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe! I can’t wait to try it with other fruits in season.
Thank you so much for your feedback and your lovely note! It makes me so happy to know that you tried my recipe and that you had great results! Yes, fall fruit should be wonderful substitutes for plums!
Marilena….
Dianne served your Galette for dessert on Saturday evening.
I must say it is one of the most delicious desserts she has ever made. It was fabulous!
I follow you on you website and your recipes always look so appealing…
Fondly,
Betsy
Awww! Thank you so much Betsy for taking the time to write! Dianne is an excellent cook and baker, so this is such a huge compliment for me and I am so happy you all liked my plum galette recipe! Thank you also for following my website and for your kind words about about my site and my recipes!
What can I substitute for the almonds? My husband can’t have them.
You can leave the ground almonds out! Just add some more flour!
Delicious!! As we were hiking I had the brilliant idea to make a galette for dessert, bought some red and yellow pluots ( plum apricot cross) and used orange elderberry marmalade from IKEA. Now my husband has a list of fruit he wants to try this recipe with.
Hi Leah, I am so happy to know that you tried my recipe and you liked it so much! This galette is such an easy and delicious recipe!
This galette is incredibly delicious! Thank you! I used monkfruit sweetener instead, and wild blueberry preserves.
That’s wonderful Tamara! I am so glad you made it and for your kind comment!