Bake

Canned Apricot Pistachio Galette From ‘Bake Smart’

November 13, 2023
1
1 Ratings
Photo by Johnny Miller
  • Prep time 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Cook time 45 minutes
  • Serves 8 to 10
Author Notes

Perfectly ripe, fragrant apricots are elusive. The fruit I find is often mealy and flavorless. Canned apricots, on the other hand, are always tender and sweet. Added bonus: the syrup is delicious over yogurt and fruit, used as a sweetener for smoothies, or stirred into cocktails. —Samantha Seneviratne

Test Kitchen Notes

Recipe excerpt from BAKE SMART by Samantha Seneviratne. Copyright © 2023 by Samantha Seneviratne. Used with permission by Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved. Photography © Johnny Miller. —Food52

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the galette:
  • For the filling:
  • 2 (15.25-ounce) cans apricots in syrup
  • 6 tablespoons (75 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (8 grams) cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup (50 grams) chopped raw pistachios (Note: For the best flavor, use pistachios that are neither roasted nor salted.)
  • 1 large (50 grams) egg
  • 4 tablespoons (57 grams) butter, at room temperature
  • Pinch of kosher salt

  • For the pastry:
  • Flour for rolling
  • 1 recipe Tender Freeform Galette Dough (see below)

  • To finish:
  • 1 large (50 grams) egg, lightly beaten
  • Sanding sugar for sprinkling (optional)
  • For the Tender Freeform Galette Dough:
  • 1 1/4 cups (170 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon (13 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cups (60 to 75 grams) water (Note: If you want to go the extra mile, use heavy cream instead of water, which will further inhibit gluten development.)
Directions
  1. For the galette:
  2. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  3. Prepare the filling: Carefully arrange the apricots on a rimmed baking sheet or a plate; they will be soft and delicate.
  4. In a small bowl, toss together 2 tablespoons of the sugar, the cornstarch, and lemon zest. Sprinkle over the apricots.
  5. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the pistachios, reserved apricot syrup, the egg, 2 tablespoons of the butter, the salt, and the remaining ¼ cup sugar and process until a smooth paste forms.
  6. Prepare the pastry: On a lightly floured piece of parchment, with a floured pin, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle.
  7. Spread the pistachio paste over the dough, leaving a 1½ inch border all around. Arrange the apricots on the dough.
  8. Lift the edges of the dough up over the fruit, folding and pleating the dough as necessary. Using the parchment paper, transfer the galette to a rimmed baking sheet. Freeze for 10 minutes.
  9. Brush the pastry rim with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sanding sugar, if using. Dot the fruit with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
  10. Bake the galette until the crust is deep golden brown, about 45 minutes. Some of the juices may leak out, but that’s OK.
  11. Serve warm or at room temperature. This galette is best the day it’s made
  1. For the Tender Freeform Galette Dough:
  2. To the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, sugar, and salt and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand, with some larger pieces.
  3. Add ¼ cup water and pulse until the dough is evenly moistened and holds together when you squeeze a small clump with your fingers. If necessary, add more water a teaspoon at a time, pulsing, but stop before the dough becomes wet. Do not process the dough until it forms a ball; it should still be crumbly.
  4. Tip the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and use the edges of the plastic to bring it together and then form it into a small, flat disk. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour before using.
  5. It can be stored, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. (Don’t leave pastry dough in the fridge for too long, though, or it will turn gray. That means it’s time for the compost bin.)

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Smaug
    Smaug
  • Steven Williamson
    Steven Williamson
  • Annette Barbasch
    Annette Barbasch
  • Amy
    Amy

5 Reviews

Annette B. April 13, 2024
Pistachio filling is NOT a paste--completely liquid after following directions precisely. A request for butter in the dough ingredients never provided. This is Test Kitchen Approved???
 
Amy November 13, 2023
The recipe for the tender pastry doesn’t mention butter, but the instructions do. Please put in the amount needed
 
Smaug November 14, 2023
It could make a difference- looks like a typical pie crust recipe, which would usually be between 3 and 4 oz. butter- if the author doesn't chime in, I'd just go with your favorite crust recipe.
 
Steven W. November 14, 2023
I'd agree, 1/2 cup to 1 1/4 cups flour
 
Smaug November 14, 2023
I grew up with 3/1 (by volume) as the standard ratio for pie crusts, but modern recipes- perhaps following the lead of European style crusts, or perhaps just from the urge to get as much fat into our diets as possible and then add some more- are tending toward a 2/1 ratio. Anywhere in that range is quite workable- more likelihood of bleeding butter with the higher ratio.