“a cask of the best brandy for the party and plum puddings” Anya Seton, Devil Water

Every season is special here in England, but there’s always a restorative joy in the return of crisp cooler days, the nights drawing in, and the promise of winter ahead as the landscape begins to change. The days shorten, the morning light is weaker, woollen socks and chunky knits are needed again and there’s the familiar crunch underfoot wherever you go.

This one is a seasonal favourite, spiced plum galette, and is filled with all the flavours of the season. Paired with velvety vanilla ice cream for contrast, it makes for a delicious finish to any supper. Casually wave away any concerns if you’ve not baked a tart before – this one doesn’t rely on precision at all. Historically these tarts were a French peasant dessert, baked without moulds with a very rustic finish.

NOTES

– Don’t be nervous of the pastry. Whatever you may have heard about pastry being complicated or ‘impossible’, this one’s incredibly straight forward – a real “no-fuss” recipe that is hard to go too far wrong with.

– In aid of the above, be sure to keep your butter and water cold. It helps create that beautiful flaky but tender texture

– Beyond those two, it’s pretty much just a case of hopping into your orchard, or a friend’s, or a farmer’s market to pick up some ripe plums. They should be everywhere right now in their many hued varieties. Personally I love these dark red plums we chose in this galette, but any type would work.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Equipment:

• baking paper
• pastry brush
• baking tray
• food processor (we used our trusty KitchenAid)

Makes: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

For the pastry: 

• 185 grams/ 6 ½ oz plain flour
• 30 grams/ 1 oz granulated sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 115 grams/ 1 stick butter, cold and cubed
• 60ml/ ¼ cup ice cold water

For the plum filling: 

• 4-6 tart plums, pitted and thinly sliced (about 1 1/4 pounds or 570g)
• 70 grams/ 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon orange (or lemon) zest
• 1 teaspoon tapioca flour, or a tablespoon of plain flour (for thickening)

Egg wash:

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbs milk

Coarse sugar to sprinkle before baking – you can afford to be liberal over the pastry edges and plum centre of the galette with this

Ice cream to serve: recipe here

METHOD

Making the pastry:

1. Add the flour, sugar, and salt to a food processor. Pulse until combined.

2. With the processor running, gradually add the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

3. Stream in the cold water. The dough should come together and pull away from the sides.

4. Transfer the dough to a clean surface and shape into a disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for 45 minutes.

Making the plum filling:

1. Preheat the oven to 200c/ 390F. Line a sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper.

2. Combine the sliced plums with the sugar, cinnamon, lemon, and tapioca flour. Gently toss until well mixed. Let sit for about 20 minutes until the sugars are dissolved.

3. Meanwhile, let the chilled dough sit out at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes until soft enough to roll out. Working on a floured surface to prevent sticking, roll out the dough to about a 12-inch circle.

4. Transfer the pastry to the lined baking sheet.

5. Strain the plums and arrange in the centre, leaving a 1-inch boarder – the leftover syrup can be drizzled over later if desired and if not too sharp, but don’t be tempted to pour it over the galette pre-baking as this will affect the crunchy finish of the bake and will likely cause it to bubble over and leak. Fold the pastry edges up and over the plum filling.

7. Bake the galette for 35 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the fruit is bubbling. Let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with ice cream.

6. Whisk together the egg yolk and milk to make an “egg wash”. Brush the edges with the egg wash and then sprinkle a healthy few spoonfuls of the coarse sugar on top.