Peach Galette with Ginger Frangipane

These one-crust free-form tarts have a chic look that belies their simplicity.

Last week, I relaunched my podcast, The Secret Life of Cookies, where I bake and talk to well-known experts about politics, culture, and the world. My guest was E. Jean Carroll. We talked about her bestselling book, Not My Type, her favorite cake, and why gin and tonics should be served at funerals. As emotionally challenging as some of my discussions with guests can be—ie, loss of American democracy, immigration, Epstein files, the Supreme Court, the capitulation of formerly great news organizations, etc, etc, ugh—having the conversations from my kitchen, with cookies thrown in, helps to take the edge off, at least for a little while.

That said, injustice fatigue hit me hard this week. Lack-of-consequences fatigue hit me harder, which is why I yearned for pie, but, because I was tired, I made a galette instead.

The great thing about the one-crust free-form tarts known as galette is they have a chic look that belies their simplicity.

I filled the tart with peak-season peaches and a layer of frangipane. Frangipane is easily the best word in the pastry lexicon. Among its versatile uses, this buttery almond cake is used to line fruit tarts and fill almond croissants. It’s one of my favorite things to eat. Also in its favor: It would make a great name for a plump orange cat.

For this tart, I off-roaded a little and added chopped candied ginger to the frangipane, because peaches and ginger play well together.

Feel free to try other combinations, including peach and cherry, peach and raspberry, and peach and whatever other nice summer stone fruit or berries you have sitting on the counter.

And: Although the directions look long, they’re not complicated and can be completed over a couple of days. Assemble and bake it the day you wish to serve it.

Thank goodness for cookies, pie, and ice cream, and this community.

Nurture yourself, speak up for those who can’t, and if possible, donate your time or money where it can help others.

Notes on the making of the galette:

I don’t peel my peaches. I think it’s an unnecessary step, and I like the deep orange color the skin adds.

I use Kerry Gold butter for my pie crusts. This is not a paid promotion, merely years of trying different brands of butter and pretending it didn’t matter. It matters. Kerry Gold is expensive, so I buy it at Costco, where it costs less. I use Land o’ Lakes or store-brand unsalted butter for the frangipane filling.

If you don’t have a food processor to make the dough, use two knives or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture.

(For the pie crust fearful and pie-curious, I’ll be doing a live demo on my Substack next Saturday, August 2, where I will address your anxieties and teach you how to make two no-fail pie crusts and the perfect blueberry pie.)

Peach Galette with Ginger Frangipane

Serves 4 generously, 8 politely

What You’ll Need

For the crust:

1 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons (175 grams) all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon granulated white sugar

1/2 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt (for table salt, use 1/4 teaspoon)

10 tablespoons (140 grams) cold butter, cut into 24 pieces

3 tablespoons ice cold water

For the frangipane:

1 1/2 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1/4 cup (25 grams) granulated sugar

1/4 cup (25 grams) almond flour or meal

1 large egg, room temperature

1 tablespoon minced candied ginger

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional, but v. nice)

For the fruit filling:

3 to 4 peaches, pitted and sliced into 1/4” pieces

1 tablespoon almond flour

2 teaspoons granulated white sugar

For the egg wash and topping:

1 egg

1 teaspoon milk

2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

What You’ll Do:

Make the pie crust:

1. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar and salt. Sprinkle the pieces of butter over the top of the flour mixture and pulse about 12 times, until the butter is pea size and smaller. The dough should remain crumbly. Place the butter-flour mixture into a medium-size bowl and sprinkle over the three tablespoons of water. Using a fork, toss the mixture together to evenly distribute the water. You will not think this is possible. You will want to add more water. Don’t. I promise the entire mixture will look like wet sand soon. Lightly flour a pastry board or countertop. Turn the contents of the bowl onto the board and gently gather the dough together to form a 1-inch thick round disk. Wrap in parchment and refrigerate for at least two hours, or up to 3 days. (For longer storage, wrap well and freeze. Defrost in the refrigerator before use.)

Make the frangipane:

1. With a stand or hand mixer, blend together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Add the flour, egg, almond and vanilla extracts, candied ginger and lemon zest and blend on low speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on medium-low speed. Refrigerate the frangipane until ready to use.

Assemble the galette:

1. Heat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

2. Lightly flour a pastry board or counter and roll out the dough into a rough circle about 12-13 inches wide. Tip: Roll from the center of the dough almost to the edge, turn the dough a quarter turn and repeat, etc. Make sure there is enough flour underneath so the dough doesn’t stick. Fold the dough gently in half and lay it on the prepared baking sheet. Unfold. Ta-da! Refrigerate the dough while you prepare the fruit.

3. In a medium bowl, toss the peaches with the almond flour and sugar. Set aside.

4. Remove the galette from the refrigerator. Spread the frangipane in a thin circle in the middle of the dough, leaving a 2 1/2” border. Top the frangipane with the peaches. Do not include any liquid from the bowl. Starting at any point, lift the edge of the dough and fold it up and over the filling. Move a few inches over and fold the next section up. Keep going around the circle, overlapping folds slightly.

5. Make the egg wash: Beat the egg and milk together and brush over the top of the crust. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the crust is golden, the peach filling is bubbling, and the frangipane should be set. Serve with ice cream.

Marissa Rothkopf Bates writes about food for the New York Times, Newsweek (RIP) and Publishers’ Weekly among others. Her newest book, “The Secret Life of Chocolate Chip Cookies,” is available for pre-sale wherever fine books are sold. Find her on Substack here.

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