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Being a baker, summer is my favorite time of year. Not only are peaches, nectarines, cherries and plums abundant at the market, but as the seasons progress, the volume of fruits lowers the price, and I stock up on whatever I can, whenever I can.

At Paris markets, I try to search out producteurs, the vendors who grow the food they sell, and every summer, one in particular shows up at my market with lots of Reine Claude and mirabelle plums, a few different varieties of cherries, plump melons that you can smell standing a few feet away, tender figs, and fresh apricots.

Making the shopping experience even better, were the fellows who sold the fruits. Not only were they easy on the eyes, but they often put punky-looking cherries in baskets, labeling them “for clafoutis” (a nicer way of saying “for baking”) and selling them at a reduced price. This year, there seems to have been a turnover in staff – zut – but the replacements also offer up the imperfect fruit, or even an overload, at a discount.

The last couple of weeks, they’ve had small lugs of fresh apricots offered up at €5 for 3 kilos, about a dollar a pound. Fortunately, I live close to the market and hauled one home the first time I saw them, along with everything else I had bought, which I used to make apricot jam. If they ever do a show called Fruit Hoarders, I will likely be the star of the premiere episode, because I went back a few times and bought several more cases of fresh apricots. (Lest you think that I was mostly shopping there because of les beaux mecs.)

With over a dozen jars of apricot jam all packed up, I still had apricots coming out of the wazoo, so decided to bake up an apricot galette. When baking a free-form, fresh fruit tart, such as this, it’s good to have a strategy to deal with any excess fruit juices that might ooze out, which is especially true of apricots; like most stone fruits, some varieties exude a lot of juice.

When I baked at Chez Panisse, we used something we made, that someone dubbed “Moon Dust.” Which, because I can never leave anything alone, I nicknamed “Lunar Lint.” It was a mix of flour, almond meal, sugar and crushed amaretti cookies.

Because it was Sunday in Paris, and most stores are closed, I couldn’t go on a hunt for amaretti cookies. But no matter what the day – they’re rather hard to find. So I used to buy them and keep them in my cabinet, but found I was snacking on them, rather than saving them for lunaire lint. (And yes, I’ve got a recipe for amaretti in Ready for Dessert, but I didn’t have time to DIY everything, especially after making several batches of jam, and cleaning up after each one.)

The apricots that I used were a little more restrained, and not much juice gushed out during baking. Still, no one called me out, saying the frangipane wasn’t necessary. In fact, my guests loved the thin, flavorful layer of almond cream under the fruit, which complimented the apricots and cherries, which, as the younger generation says these days, was a sick combination.

I’m still not on board with that word, so I’ll go back to my California roots and say the combination was “awesome,” or in French, they’d say it was chouette (an owl). Depending on where you live, you can make this galette with other stone fruits, or even figs, pears or apples, when they’re in season. I don’t give a hoot which ones you use, but do give it a go with the frangipane. One bite, and you’ll agree that it’s a wise move to use it.

Summer Fruit Galette

Normally apricots give up a lot of juice when baked, but these late-season ones didn't. Fruit varies in moisture but the nice thing about the layer of frangipane is that it keeps the tart dough crisp on the bottom, in case your fruit is juicy. You can use walnut or hazelnut flour in place of the almond flour. You can certainly use other fruits, such as sliced nectarines, peaches (peeled or unpeeled), plums, or figs. You'll need about 1 1/2 pounds (700g) of fruit. More important than precise numbers to follow, it's best to try to push the fruit as close together as possible, or if using sliced fruit, to overlap it as much as possible, because it'll cook down during baking. You can also make this without the frangipane but you may want to sprinkle the bottom of the tart dough with some crumbled cookies, nuts or flour, or toss the fruit in 1 to 2 teaspoons of cornstarch if the fruit is particularly juicy, although I prefer using frangipane. That's why I gave you the recipe. (And because my "Lunar "Lint" recipe makes enough for 12 to 18 tarts.) Update: A reader pointed out that ground almonds can sometimes be wanting in flavor, so I often add almond extract. The amount can vary, to taste, but since it's getting baked, you might want to err on the stronger side. (Although I know some people don't like that flavor when it's too strong.) You can also swap out raspberries or blueberries for the cherries, using them to fill in the spaces between the fruit. I add the cherries at the beginning, but if using raspberries or blueberries, you can add them during the last 15 minutes or so of baking. Just before baking the tart, I sprinkled mine with organic cane sugar, which you can see in the photo. It's a little coarser than granulated white sugar. I like it because it doesn't melt so easily, and I enjoy the crunchy crystals in the crust. But feel free to use either regular granulated sugar, if that's what you've got. Just be sure not to be too stingy with it; the crackly crust (to some of us) with lots of juicy fruit tucked underneath, is the best part!
Servings 8 servings

For the galette dough

  • 1 1/4 cup (175g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 7 tablespoons (100g, 3 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
  • 3 1/2 to 4 tablespoons ice water

For the frangipane

  • 3/4 cup (95g) almond flour
  • 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (20g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons (30g, 1 ounce) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature

For the fruit galette

  • 1 1/2 pounds (700g) fresh apricots, halved and pitted, or quartered if large, (see headnote for other fruits that can be used)
  • 18-20 cherries, sweet or tart, pitted
  • 1 tablespoon (15g, 1/2 ounce) unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons sugar (or organic cane sugar), see headnote
  • strained apricot jam,, for glazing the tart

To make the dough

  • To make the dough, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer.
  • Add the cubed butter and mix, using a pastry blender (or the paddle attachment if using a stand mixer), until the butter is in small, but still visible pieces, about the size of corn kernels.
  • Add the 3 1/2 tablespoons of ice water and mix until the dough starts to come together. If it feels dry, add an additional 1/2 tablespoon of ice water. Form the dough into a disk with your hands, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

To make the frangipane

  • In a small bowl, mix together the almond flour, sugar, and all-purpose flour. Add the butter and almond extract, and mix in with a spatula until smooth. Mix in the egg.

To make the tart

  • Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a 14-inch (35cm) circle, turning it over and dusting lightly with flour, to keep it from sticking to the counter.
  • Brush off any excess flour and transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. (At this point, you may want to chill the dough for a few minutes, as the frangipane may be a bit tricky to spread if the dough feels warm.)
  • Smear the frangipane on the tart dough, leaving a 2-inch (5cm) rim around the edges. Place the apricots on the frangipane and put cherries in the spaces between the apricots. Fold the edges of the dough over the fruit to make a crust. After pleating and folding the rim, make sure there are no "gullies" in the pleats, for fruit juices to run out of.
  • Brush the rim of the crust generously with melted butter then brush the remaining butter over the fruit. Sprinkle the rim with about 1 tablespoons of sugar. Then sprinkle another 1 tablespoon over the fruit. (If using fruits like nectarines and peaches, you can reduce the sugar to a few teaspoons.)
  • Bake the tart until the crust is well-browned and the fruit is cooked through, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the tart cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then brush the top with apricot jam.

Notes

Serving: Serve with a compatible ice cream, such as vanilla, crème fraîche or noyau ice cream. (The last two are in my books, The Perfect Scoop, and My Paris Kitchen, respectively), or another favorite flavor. A dollop of crème fraîche, sabayon, or softly whipped cream are other options. (Although often I like it just as it is.)
Storage: The dough can be made up to two days ahead and refrigerated, or it can be frozen for up to two months. The tart is best enjoyed the same day it's made, but is okay the second day.

Related Links and Recipes

Summer Fruit Tart with Almond Cream

What is almond flour?

Baking Ingredients and Substitutions

Gluten-Free Apricot and Mascarpone Galette (Bojon Gourmet)

Almond Cake

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51 comments

    • Elle

    It looks so wonderful – I must make it soon! I have some peaches at home and maybe I can add plums and blueberries also.
    Of course, I will have to get up at 4 am to make it so I can bring it to work and share with my coworkers on the same day – I am not eating the whole thing myself!

    • Martinn Key2paris

    I -unfortunately- rely completely on nibbling on stock ! I buy amarettis either at Latteria Cisternino or the Italian on rue Montorgueil. I made some Amaretti ice cream to go with caramelized apricots. Some same kind of blending flavors. I was left with some amaretti and though I’d use them for next batch or a tart but they were gone before I had a chance to use them in a recipe…:-)

    • Gerlinde

    I just made a galette a couple a days ago and I am ready to make another one using your frangipan or lunar lint. Both sound delicious.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      If you want to give it a go, the moon dust/lunar lint quantities were:

      4 cups almonds
      2 cups flour
      2 cups sugar
      1 cup amaretti

      It’s from my restaurant-sized recipes. I haven’t made it since 1998, so not sure if that’s 1 cup of cookies, or 1 cup of crumbs, but either would work. That quantity is enough for a number of tarts, but it could be scaled down, and/or it does keep in the refrigerator or freezer – enjoy the tart…either way!

    • Rockyrd

    Thank you for this tart. That is my favorite of all. And I know you said it’s best baked fresh and eaten but I always have to hide a piece for myself for breakfast the next day. So much better than cereal or oatmeal. I love the markets we shopped while visiting friends who live in the Lot. In August everything is so beautiful and plentiful.

    A vendor gave us an extra melon if we bought two. An elderly British woman heard us speaking in English and came over and told us she was living alone and could not use the extra melon and offered it to us! So we were four people with four ripe melons! But we ate them every chance we got. And meanwhile we had a huge case of gorgeous plums the neighbor picked off of her tree. They got baked up into coffee cakes and tarts.

    And while walking down the road I spied a huge magnificent apricot tree! LOADED with fruit. I asked my friend if we could buy some from the owner and she said no; if they knew we wanted them they would not sell the apricots to us. Is that a French thing?

    Wish I could have made some jam or something else to lug home to the US.
    Thank you again.

    • Susan P

    Wondering if there is a substitute for the almond flour in the Frangipan for those allergic to nuts…..

      • Liz

      I saw that ground oatmeal could work possibly with a bit of flour on ricardocuisine.com (found on pinterest)

    • Adele

    Looks fantabulous! My challenge is that our oldest daughter cannot eat stone fruits unless they’re cooked, so this is a great recipe….except that she’s allergic to almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts and pecans.

    Is there anything else to use for a base layer? Would a combo of crème fraiche, flour and a little sugar be enough to absorb any excess juiciness?

      • Lee

      Try mixing the fruit with some corn starch. It will thicken the runny juices.

    • Erica H

    I have made versions of this during the season (apricots often also being disappointing as a raw fruit – no matter how alluring their pink blush and their consequent market appeal), and also mix up a version of the “lunar lint” of which you speak to mop up the juices (sans amaretti – although I did used to use the ground apricot kernels till I found out the rumours were true about the poison – cyanide no less!), but it has never crossed my mind to up the ante to frangipane – genius idea! Mine usually leaks copious amounts of juice from some pastry weak spot that I have failed to notice, but as I also quite like the caramelised sticky toffee that is the perk that offsets the slight ruination, I live with the consequences. Will definitely give your version a go now – still don’t mind if it leaks, but love the idea of the combination.

    • Linda Yuen

    Beautiful galette! Just received a load of ripe Agen prune plums from a neighbor- would they go with the frangipane?

    Warm regards,
    Linda

      • Ttrockwood

      How lucky you are- yes they would be wonderful with the frangipane!

    • Steve

    My last two peach galettes were very juicy so I put the fruit mixture in a colander to drain off quite a bit of the moisture. It work very well and the excess moisture went well with a glass of oj.

      • Cece Noll

      That is absolutely lovely!

      • Cece Noll

      or Champagne for a Bellini!

    • Kate McDermott

    Fruit Hoarders! Yes, I can so relate, David.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Thanks! I’ve noticed your pins (and repinned them) as well. Thanks for saying hi, here! :)

    • Silvia

    I am going to the gym right now just for looking at that tart! Yum! That is my idea of a perfect dessert so I will have to make that soon. Sonoma county apricots are done though…

    My jam “recipe” may be even more tart than yours. 1lb fruit (anything that needs to be used up) 2–4T sugar, juice and rind of a lemon. Makes one jar and I pop them in the freezer and my friends steal them since I’ve “ruined” them for store bought.

    • Tulips

    What a delightful recipe, best tips for a timeless galette! Thanks for sharing♥

    • Taste of France

    The colors are beautiful. My grandma was crazy about apricots and made tons of jam, so that flavor brings her back to me.
    I recently dared to make pâte feuilletée, using a recipe from a 1930 French cookbook. Not as hard as I had expected. I’d be tempted to try it with fruits. Maybe even figs (we have tons).

    • Alison

    Question: I’ve been experimenting with pate sucree and fruit tarts. I like it more than a basic crust. Would that work for this method? I just picked and pitted about 20 lbs of tart pie cherries; this will be just the thing to use them. Thanks, as always!

      • David

      Pâte sucrée is rather crumbly so I don’t think it’d be right for this kind of free form tart. But if you do try it, let me know how it turns out.

    • Tammy Young

    Oh my goodness! That looks ‘amazeballs’ to use another popular word! Yum! My family and I have just recently moved to Paris, and I love to cook, but the apartment we are renting only has a convection microwave/oven, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it…but for this, I may try harder!

    • Charlene V.

    Will try this soon! I often use frangipane in fall tarts and galettes (pears) but why not for summer as well?! I always keep Ziploc bags of lunar lint (in my case, labeled “tart lining”) and fruit crisp topping in the freezer, so that I’m ready for baking whenever the urge strikes. David, have you ever tried adding grated Parmesano Reggiano to your crisp topping mixture? It was in a recipe I got from John Ash Restaurant (Sonoma County) years ago and I have done it ever since. About 1/3 cup adds that “je ne sais quoi” factor and a great depth of flavor.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Hmm… that’s interesting about adding Parmesan to crisp topping. I guess it’s dairy and salt, so why not? Someday maybe I’ll try it. Thanks for passing along that tip.

    • Alexandra

    Hi David,
    Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I would like to ask you if in stead I could use frozen apricots. The apricot season was very short but plenty in our area and kept some in my freezer. Is there something more you could recommend to add to “hold” all these extra juices other than the fragipan you mention? Something different to do? Grateful for your help.

    • Peter L

    Question: can you use dried sour cherries (for example, the ones from Trader Joe) that have been “plumped”? I am not sure if cherries are still in our markets.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Sure but I would add them later in the baking, since they could dry out after 50 minutes in the oven. You could omit the cherries, or Trader Joe’s has wonderful jars of sour cherries in syrup, which would work well, too.

    • Kerry Heaney

    Simply delicious and great photos too. Thank you for sharing the recipe.

    • Cece Noll

    That is absolutely lovely!

    • Karen Brown

    Last summer I made buckets of apricot jam. The season is so short here in nz, and the apricots were so delicious! The last batch I made, on impulse, I threw in some dried rose petals (from Turkey)And a dash of rosewater, and these were the jars that my family and friends begged for more of.
    I’m wondering if that combo would work in this galette? Or would the rose petals get all dried and chewy.
    These photos are making me long for summer, it’s been the coldest, wettest spring here in NZ. Thanks for dropping a little sunshine into my day. Cheers from the South Seas, Karen

    • Jill J.

    I bought a basket of peaches yesterday and was looking for a galette recipe when your post popped into my mailbox…how did you know? Mine turned out as delicious as yours looked. The frangipane addition is genius and the galette was not too sweet, just right. I’ll definitely make this one again. Thanks David.

    • Colleen

    I somehow ended up picking about 40 lbs of peaches. It is about 90 minutes round trip to the farm, so I always end up with quite a few. I used the the apricot jam with vanilla and maple syrup from Saving the Season, a really lovely canning cookbook. The recipe called for brandy, it I thought that bourbon would be better with the peaches. it is going on the list for jams to make again next year.

    I am going to have to make a batch of the lunar lint to put into tarts. Blueberry season is now upon us in New England.

    • jill

    “lunar lint” … hahaha
    I love alliteration, especially ones perfectly timed to celestial orchestrations, ie: the lunar eclipse last night, lol…well done

    • Nell

    I worked my way through college at Marie Callander’s restaurants. Her pie crust was delicious and flakey. They pre-cooked their filling a little bit, then refrigerated, and then filled frozen pie crusts -the pie went immediately into a hot oven. I think pre-cooking the pie filling controlled the juiciness and the super hot oven browned the bottom crust quickly –not giving the filling time to ooze.

    • Mary Jo Wilmes

    OK – this looks great – but
    I am looking for your BBQ ribs in the oven recipe. I left my book in a farmhouse in France where I made them last month. Fantastic. In the oven – really good and simple.
    Maybe an August post? I have the ribs.

    • Janet

    I made this yesterday and it was delicious, but I have to admit the frangipane was absolutely tasteless. i expected to taste at least some almond…btw, it had been years since I’d made any kind of crust. I was delighted that this one tasted so good and behaved as it should!

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      There’s quite a bit of almonds in the filling (3/4 cup/95g) but quality and freshness of nuts and nut flours can vary. So I often advise adding a bit of almond extract to it, although almond extract can quickly overwhelm – and, of course, brands vary and everyone’s taste is different. So if you try it again, maybe add more extract (I added it to the recipe after it was first published) or even a shot of kirsch.

    • LisaRR

    I admit my crust was falling apart – no chance of folding over the fruit. So I packed it into a tart pan (with a removable base) and composed it the same way as above.
    Very delicious!
    Thank you very much for the recipe. Southern Ontario tender fruit season is upon us right now.

    • Pauline Hage

    Another wonderfull recipe for those lovely apricots. My neighbours are very happy too. Preventing myself to eat the whole galette/cake/tart/pie by myself my neighbours always get half of what I make.

    • Mary

    Beating Amanda Chantal Bacon to the punch with the moon dust!

    • Den and Carol

    David,

    We have made the apricot/cherry galette twice now in the last week. It is just spectacular! Sitting on our front deck eating it with a cafe au last is almost as good as having one in Paris, and far less jet lag!

    Merci,

    Den and Carol
    Santa Cruz, Ca.

    • Elizabeth Thomas

    I’ve been making variations of this tart of yours for years- it always satisfies . Last version was with plumcots, nectarines and cherries, on a bed of biscotti crumbs.
    Thanks for your recipe and technique!

    • Karen tripson

    I want to take the galette to lunch in the country next Sunday. It’s 1-1/2 hr drive. I don’t want to make it all Sunday morning for 9:30 am departure. Is it better to assemble on Saturday, fruit and all, refrigerate and bake at the destination on Sunday or bake it on Saturday, refrigate for the drive on Sunday? Serve with the ice cream room temperature or reheat?

    I’m using local rainier cherries and was asked to bring appropriate wine to serve with. Any suggestions in the moderate $$ for 7 people?

    • bobbles

    DL, you’ve spelled it wrong, see wikipedia for “frangipane”

    • Erica

    Can you describe what a prune plum is? I’ve only ever seen it in food descriptions from Americans. It’s not used in the U.K.as far I know.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Hi Erica, They go by several different names. In French they’re called quetsches and in the U.K., they’re Damson plums.

    • Deb & Amos

    Hi David! Question – Is it possible to make this galette & freeze for later baking? I have peaches and raspberries or sour cherries Id like to try while my peach tree is producing. No apricots, just very good peaches (& in MN no less)! Thanks!

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Sure, you can assemble it on a baking sheet and freeze it (cover it well!) and bake it later.

    • Christobel

    OMG, David! I made this last night with peaches and cherries and it was amazing. I shared a photo of it with you on Instagram.

A

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