I can see we’re at the tailend of summer when I step outside for my evening walks: the evening light changing, the earlier sunsets with cotton candy skies, the cooler air and birds migrating south.
Plums are a metaphorical transition fruit for me, going from summer to fall. Colors range from a beautiful shade of light green (greengage plums) to brighter red varieties to a darker purple. They are sweet, tart and crunchy all at once, perfect for galettes, crisps, cobblers, bars and other desserts.
Galettes are one of the easier desserts to put together, and this Plum and Fennel-Pistachio Frangipane Galette is a new personal favorite. It was inspired by my Plum, Fennel & Cardamom Upside Down Cake, which was well received by my friends and family last year.
How to prepare the galette dough?
Ingredients for the galette dough are:
- All purpose flour
- Unsalted butter : Always use cold unsalted butter, that is cut into small cubes
- Salt
- Granulated sugar
- Iced water
- Apple cider vinegar
The dough for this Plum and Fennel-Pistachio Frangipane Galette comes together fairly easily in a food processor. Use cold butter and cold water to make the crust super flaky. While the dough rests in the fridge, make the pistachio frangipane. (I also use the food processor here. I am certainly not a fan of washing tons of dishes!)
Pistachio Frangipane
Ingredients for the pistachio frangipane are:
- Ground pistachios
- Almond flour
- Granulated sugar
- Cardamom and fennel: these spices perfume the frangipane beautifully.
- Unsalted butter
- Salt
- Egg : used to bind everything together
- Almond extract and vanilla extract
- Rum or brandy to make it extra!
How to make the Pistachio Frangipane?
I grind the whole pistachios with a bit of almond flour, granulated sugar, toasted fennel seeds and ground cardamom, then add wet ingredients to create a fluid paste. The texture will be like wet cement.
This frangipane for this Plum and Fennel-Pistachio Frangipane Galette is extra special from the fennel, which lends a slight licorice taste. Fennel is one of my favorite underrated spices: Common in Indian culture and eaten as is, as a digestive after dinner, they are also used in savory foods, in spice blends and in biryanis. I love how it imparts a fresh distinct flavor to desserts.
TIPS on the galette dough
The dough should be cold yet pliable when rolling it out so that it doesn’t stick or break. After spreading on a layer of the fennel-pistachio frangipane, I layer the plum slices in an overlapping concentric configuration, so that they are tightly snuggled against each other, until I reach the center. I love a visually dramatic dessert. Forming the galette for the Plum and Fennel-Pistachio Frangipane Galette is easy: Just fold the outer ring of dough to partially cover the plums. I like to keep the galette in the freezer for a few minutes to keep the dough from spreading in the oven.
Transportation of the galette for a party
It’s also easy to transport the Plum and Fennel-Pistachio Frangipane Galette, making it a fantastic dessert for an end-of-summer soiree. Wrap the galette with plastic wrap on its baking tray or on a large platter. The base for this Plum and Fennel-Pistachio Frangipane Galette is pretty sturdy, which helps with transferring slices to plates. Serve rich golden brown slices with whipped cream or, even better, a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Where can I get the green pistachios?
For extra green pistachios, you can purchase them from a Middle Eastern store or online, linked here.
Here are links to some other plum-inspired recipes from the blog:
- Plum, Fennel and Cardamom Upside Down Cake
- Italian Shortbread with Plum and Sage Jam
If you do make this recipe, please tag #thejamlab on Instagram and/or leave a comment on this blog post.
XO
Amisha
Plum and Fennel Pistachio Frangipane Galette
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup iced water
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1¾ sticks unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch cubes
Pistachio Frangipane
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon pistachios
- 4 tablespoons almond flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground toasted fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 1 tablespoon rum or brandy
Assembly
- 5–6 plums, thinly sliced (slightly less than ¼-inch thick)
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¼ cup demerara sugar or turbinado sugar
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped pistachios
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)
Get Recipe Ingredients
Method
Crust
- Mix together 1 cup of iced water and apple cider vinegar.
- In a food processor, pulse the all-purpose flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and 6 tablespoons of vinegary iced water, and mix until combined to form a dough. (You won’t need the rest of the iced water.)
- Place the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and wrap it around, forming the dough into a round disc about 1-inch thick. Chill in the fridge for about one hour 15 minutes.
- Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and set it to the side.
- Dust a large work surface with flour. Remove the dough from the plastic wrap. Dust the dough with additional flour. Roll out the dough into a circle, roughly about 14 to 15 inches in diameter.
- Roll the dough onto the rolling pin, and use it to gently place the dough on the baking tray.
Pistachio Frangipane
- In the same food processor, add the pistachios, almond flour, sugar, fennel, cardamom and salt. Mix it until the pistachio forms a fine powder.
- Add butter, egg, vanilla, almond extract (if using) and the alcohol of choice. Mix to form a loose paste.
Assembly
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Place the frangipane onto the center of the dough. Using an offset spatula, spread it in a circular pattern, leaving about a 2½-inch border all around the dough.
- Starting from the outer edge, place the plum slices in concentric circles, slightly overlapping each other, on top of the frangipane. You will form 3 circles of plum slices. Be sure to cover the frangipane entirely.
- Fold the dough gently over the fanned plum slices, all around. The dough will slightly overlap in places.
- Place the tray in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Prepare egg wash: Whisk the egg and the granulated sugar in a small bowl, with a fork, until well combined.
- Remove the tray from the freezer. Brush the dough rim with the egg wash. Sprinkle the dough rim with the demerara or turbinado sugar. Sprinkle more sugar all over the plum slices as well.
- Bake the galette in the lower rack of the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the rim is a deep golden brown in color.
- Remove and cool for an hour.
- Sprinkle finely chopped pistachios all around the crust. Cut into slices and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if using.
Notes
- To toast the fennel seeds, place about 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds in a small pot on medium to low heat. Stirring occasionally, heat the seeds for about 2 to 3 minutes, until you can smell the fragrance. Let cool completely. Grind into a powder using a mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder.
- The dough should be cold yet pliable when rolling it out so that it doesn’t stick or break.
- It’s also easy to transport the Plum and Fennel Pistachio Frangipane Galette, making it a fantastic dessert for an end-of-summer soiree. Wrap the galette with plastic wrap on its baking tray or on a large platter.
- For extra green pistachios, you can purchase them from a Middle Eastern store or online, linked here.
