PEACH GALETTE

It's peach season and how better to celebrate the abundance of this blushing, fragrant, juicy fruit than pairing it with a blanket of delicious pastry and a scoop of ice cream! This is one dessert that works with any fruit, so choose whatever one is in season - or mix a few! A few fresh herb sprigs also add to flavour, here I used fresh thyme. I like making individual galettes, it means you get to eat the whole thing by yourself!

Here is what you need:

For the dough:

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

4-5 tablespoons ice water

For the filling:

3 larger peaches 

3 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup butter

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 tablespoons dark rum

juice from 1/2 lemon

zest of 1 lemon

3 sprigs of thyme

heavy cream (for brushing)

coarse sugar (for sprinkling)

Firstly, cut butter in cubes and chill.

In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt, then pulse until well mixed. Add cubed chilled butter, making sure you scatter it over the flour (not in one clump). Pulse a few times (about 7), making sure butter is still in good size pieces. Add ice water, one tablespoon at the time, pulsing after each addition, until the dough just starts to come together. 

Lightly flour your work surface, turn dough onto it and work it just enough to form into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

For the filling, cut peaches in half, place flat side down and slice lengthwise into uniform slices.

In a small pot, mix honey, butter, salt, vanilla, lemon juice, lemon zest, rum and thyme sprigs. Cook over low heat until warm and runny, cool for a bit and let thyme steep to flavour the liquid. Remove thyme sprigs and pour over the peaches. 

Dust working surface with flour. Roll out the dough to about 4mm thick and large enough that you can cut 5 rounds of about 6-7 inches in diameter (they don't have to be perfectly round or can be smaller if your peaches are smaller). Avoid re-rolling the dough, rather make it a bit thinner to get 5 rounds).

Place one dough piece at the time on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, filling it with sliced peaches, leaving a 2-3 inch border. Fold the edges up, making small folds around the fruit, brushing with water between the folds and pressing gently so they adhere and won't unfold while baking. Divide any syrup left behind between the galettes.

When you have filled all the galettes, place in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Before baking, brush the edges of galettes with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the size, or until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown.

Let cool (if you can wait that long!), then serve with a sprig of fresh thyme and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.