0 Cherry Frangipane Galette

My husband and I are trying to get our fill of summer cherries before they're all gone (that is until next summer). There's nothing quite like fresh sweet cherries and we've been eating them after dinner every night. But I thought I'd shake things up a bit and bake with some of them instead. I used a combination of bing and rainier cherries in my galette. I've never baked with fresh cherries before much less needed to pit so many en masse. So I dug out my never used high volume cherry pitter that I bought on clearance many years ago. The pitter was a fun gadget and it pretty worked well too, but there was cherry juice splattered all over the front of my apron and the kitchen countertop too. I guess that can't be avoided when the cherries are so plump and juicy.

If you use store bought puff pastry like I did (or have a stash of homemade like I'm sure some of you do), it comes together pretty quickly. The cherries went really well with the almond filling (which is also really easy to mix up if you use store bought almond meal). Overall, the galette was not too sweet and made for a very nice dessert with coffee. And the cherries are my "red" for the 18th installment of the "Weekend Cookbook Challenge: Red and White" being hosted by Sara at I Like to Cook. I'm so happy that I can participate in my very first WCC!



Cherry Frangipane Galette
(adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook)

2/3 cup almond meal (ground almonds)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg
1 - 18 ounce package of store bought puff pastry (has 2 sheets)
2 pounds fresh sweet cherries (weigh then remove stems and pits)

Egg wash:
1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp heavy cream or milk

To sprinkle over the top:
1 tbsp granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 425F. Combine almond meal, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Mix in the butter then the egg until mixture is smooth.

On a sheet of parchment paper, roll out each sheet of puff pastry to about 1/8-inch thick keeping a squareish shape. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk and heavy cream and brush over the surface. Fold up the edges to create a 1-inch edge (you can just fold it or crimp it). Prick dough all over with a fork (but don't prick the edges). Transfer parchment and pastry to a large baking sheet. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

Spread half the almond filling in an even layer on each piece of chilled pastry. Arrange the cherries in a single layer over the almond filling. Freeze for another 15 minutes.

Bake the galettes for 15 minutes at 425F. Sprinkle the 1 tbsp granulated sugar over the galettes and continue to bake until the edges are golden brown, about 5-10 minutes. Transfer the galettes (with the parchment) to cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.