Peach Almond Galette

It has been a long while since I have wrote a post or cooked anything at all. Like the peach gallette, made it over a week ago. I have good reasons though. I wasn't cooking; instead, I was eating my way through San Francisco. Fair reason? I think so. Eating amazing food. Drinking delicious Californian wine. Yum! It was pretty amazing, which helps me forget what a giant cow I feel like, after overeating and drinking for a week.

Did I mention visiting my sister-in-law was the whole reason for going to California? She graduated from the Defensive Language Institute, in Monterey. Seeing her was probably the highlight of the trip, along with Tortas Frontera (the only place to get a good bite to eat in O'hare airport) making amazing margaritas, to go. That is right carry on margaritas. Never slept so well on a flight, ever.

I made this peach galette for my brother before going to Cali, so he didn't miss us too much. More like so he didn't feel so bad about not being able to go see his little lady graduate, after a year of intensive Farsi learning. It was a problem for me to take one for the team and go instead.

I really like this "pie" because it is rustic. There is no pie pan necessary. You of course could make this as a traditional pie, as the recipe is the same one I use for pie pans. This is much easier though, no perfect circles needed. This is perfect for your peach lover. It is mostly fruit, with  just a little sugar, making it all peachy perfect.

The almond mixture on the bottom of the pie just adds a nice flair to the pie, a little extra something. The same goes for the little bit of ground ginger. All barely noticeable, but without them the pie may not be nearly as tasty. I wouldn't know, never tried. You could always try using chopped/ground walnuts or crystallized ginger, neither of which I had on at the time.

xo
April

Ingredients:

Crust

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

3-5 tablespoons ice water

Peaches

4-5 peaches, cored and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1/3 cup blanched almonds, coarsely ground

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Instructions:

1. In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt, pulsing several times to combine. Scatter the butter evenly over the flour, pulsing until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 3 tablespoons of water, pulsing several times. If the mixture looks too dry, add more water by the tablespoon, until the dough is evenly moistened and just starts to come together. This can all be done using a fork/fingers, if you don't have a food processor. 
2. Remove the dough from the food processor, onto a clean counter. Being careful not to overwork the dough, shape the dough into a disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 400F. Remove the dough from the fridge. Working on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 14-inch circle. Place the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. 
4. In a small bowl, combine the almonds, sugar and ginger. Sprinkle 3/4 of the mixture into the center of the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Arrange the peaches in a roughly concentric circle, overlapping them as needed. Sprinkle the remaining almond mixture over the peaches. 
5. Fold the border of dough, at an angle, into the peaches, pinching the edges to make sure they are sealed. Brush the border with the melted butter.
6. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the crust is well browned and its edges are slightly caramelized. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving.