Puff Pastry Plum Galette
Plum galette is a delicious French pastry. It can be a savoury or sweet pastry depending on the filling used. However, this recipe will be focusing on using plums
In this blog post, you will learn how to make a Puff Pastry Plum Galette.
What is a Galette?
A galette is a term used in French cuisine to describe a variety of flat, round, or free-form crusty cakes or tarts. The term “galette” encompasses different types of pastries and cakes, ranging from savoury to sweet, but they all share a rustic, unfussy appearance. This recipe focuses on making a plum galette.
Can I Use Different Fruit Instead for this Plum Galette?
Short answer, yes. Galettes can be made with all sorts of different fruits such as apples, peaches, pears, and berries. Savoury galettes are quite popular as well with their fillings including vegetables, cheese, meats, and herbs, which makes them suitable for meals throughout the day.
How Do I Know if My Plums are Ripe?
Knowing if your plums are ripe is important for ensuring they are sweet, juicy, and full of flavour. Here are several ways to determine if your plums are ripe and ready to eat:
- Texture
- Firmness: gently press the plum with your thumb. Ripe plums should give slightly under pressure but not be too soft or mushy. They should feel firm but have a slight give.
- Skin: the skin of a ripe plum should be smooth and slightly tender. Wrinkled skin can indicate overripe fruit, while hard and unyielding skin suggests the plum is still unripe.
- Colour
- Variety Specific: plums come in various colours, including red, purple, yellow, and green. Check the specific variety you have, as the colour change can indicate ripeness. For example, red plums should be a deep red, while yellow plums should be a vibrant yellow.
- Aroma
- Smell: ripe plums will have a sweet, fragrant aroma. If you can smell the fruit’s sweetness without having to hold it close to your nose, it is likely ripe.
- Weight
- Heaviness: ripe plums will feel heavier for their size due to their high juice content. Pick up a few plums of similar size and choose the heaviest ones.
- Taste
- Flavour: if you are still unsure, you can cut open a plum and taste it. A ripe plum should be juicy and sweet with a slightly tart edge, depending on the variety.
- Appearance
- Bloom: some plums have a natural powdery coating known as “bloom.” This is a good sign that the plum has not been over-handled and is fresh. The bloom should be present but not excessive.
- Colour Consistency: look for even coloration without too many green spots (unless the variety is green when ripe). Uneven coloration might indicate that the plum is not fully ripe.
Ripening Your Plums at Home
If your plums are not quite ripe, you can ripen them at home. However, if you try to make this recipe with non-ripened plums, they can make the pudding too sour to eat.
- Room Temperature: place the plums in a single layer at room temperature away from direct sunlight. Then they should ripen in a few days.
- Paper Bag: to speed up the ripening process, place the plums in a paper bag. Adding a banana or an apple to the bag can help release ethylene gas, which accelerates ripening.
Storage
- Ripe Plums: once your plums are ripe, store them in the refrigerator to slow down the ripening process. They should keep for several days to a week.
- Unripe Plums: keep unripe plums at room temperature until they reach the desired ripeness.
By using these methods, you can ensure that your plums are perfectly ripe and ready to enjoy, whether you are eating them fresh, baking, or making dishes like plum galette.
How To Make the Cream Cheese Filling for Your Plum Galette (optional)
This is an optional step for this recipe. While the cream cheese filling does elevate the galette, it can be omitted.
Make a Cream Cheese Filling
Making a cream cheese base is incredibly simple.
- Prepare the Cream Cheese: Ensure the cream cheese is at room temperature for easier mixing.
- Beat the Cream Cheese: In a mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy using a hand mixer or stand mixer. Add in the egg yolk and beat again until the egg is just incorporated.
- Add Sugar: Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until well combined and the mixture is smooth.
- Add Flavourings: Mix in the vanilla extract and, if using, the lemon juice or zest.
- Use or Chill: Depending on the recipe, the filling can be used immediately or chilled to firm up before using. For this recipe, it is best to return to the fridge and keep there until it is time to assemble the galette.
Putting the Plum Galette Together
Here’s how these ingredients come together in the process of making a plum galette:
- Preparing the Plums: The plums are sliced and tossed with a bit of sugar, cinnamon, and sometimes honey. Allow this mixture to sit for a while to let the flavours meld and the juices release.
- Assembling the Galette:
- Rolling Out the Puff Pastry: the puff pastry is rolled out on a floured surface to the desired thickness and shape (typically a rough circle).
- Cream Cheese Filling (optional): the cream cheese is placed onto the puff pastry and brushed around the pastry. Leave an inch of pastry on the edges not covered in the cream cheese.
- Filling: the plum mixture is arranged in the centre of the pastry (on top of the cream cheese if used), leaving a border around the edges.
- Folding: the edges of the pastry are folded over the fruit filling, creating a rustic, free-form tart with the centre exposed.
- Baking:
- Egg Wash: the pastry edges are brushed with egg wash to promote browning and add shine.
- Baking: the galette is baked in a preheated oven until the pastry is golden and flaky, and the plums are tender and caramelized.
- Finishing Touch: after baking, the galette can be drizzled with a bit more honey for added sweetness and gloss.
Ingredients
Plums: fresh plums are commonly used, but dried plums (prunes) can also be an option. Fresh plums should be pitted and sliced.
Puff Pastry: puff pastry forms the base and encases the filling. It provides a flaky, buttery, and crisp texture that contrasts beautifully with the soft, juicy plums. The puff pastry also gives the galette its rustic, free-form shape, making it easy to assemble and visually appealing.
Honey: honey adds natural sweetness to balance the tartness of the plums. It also imparts a floral, aromatic flavour that complements the fruit. When drizzled over the filling or brushed on the pastry, honey can create a glossy finish and help the pastry brown nicely.
Sugar: granulated sugar or brown sugar to sweeten the plums.
Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds warmth and depth of flavour to the galette. It complements the sweetness of the plums and the honey, adding a subtle spiciness that makes the dessert more complex and aromatic.
Egg Wash: an egg wash, made by beating an egg with a bit of water or milk, is brushed over the exposed edges of the puff pastry before baking. This helps the pastry achieve a golden-brown, glossy finish. This also acts as an adhesive for any sugar sprinkled on top, ensuring it sticks and caramelizes.
Cream Cheese: cream cheese is the main ingredient, providing a smooth, tangy base in the cream cheese filling.
Lemon Juice: lemon juice adds a bright, citrusy note that complements the richness of the cream cheese.
Vanilla Extract: vanilla extract enhances the flavour with a hint of vanilla.
Tips
- Make your plum mixture first and let it macerate as you prepare the rest of the ingredients for the plum pastry.
- Galettes are relatively simple to make, especially if using store-bought puff pastry or pre-made dough. This makes them a convenient option for a breakfast pastry.
- Do not cut apart the puff pastry and leave it whole. Prepare the galette normally, but with a bigger surface, and you will have a lovely galette in the shape of a pie!
Plum Galette
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry approx. 13"x8"
Plum Filling
- 6 plums stoned and sliced
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 1/8 c. sugar granulated
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
Cream Cheese Filling (optional)
- 8 oz. (226G) block of cream cheese, softened
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 c. sugar granulated
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp. whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉/200℃/Gas Mark 6.
- Slice and stone plums. Put sliced plums into a medium bowl and mix in the sugar, honey, and cinnamon. Let macerate while preparing the other parts of the galette.
- Prepare the cream cheese filling. Beat the block of softened cream on medium until smooth.
- Add the egg yolk and beat until incorporated.
- Add in the sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and mix together. Keep in the fridge until needed.
- Roll out the puff pastry and divide the pastry into 8 squares. Approximately 4”x4”.
- Spread the cream cheese in the centre of the pastry leaving half an inch empty at the sides of the pastry. Place the plums in the centre of the puff pastry leaving half an inch around the outsides as well.
- Fold over the sides of the puff pastry and brush the egg wash over them.
- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the edges are lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and let cool. Top with icing sugar if desired.