Cherry Pecan Galette
This Cherry Pecan Galette is a wonderful way to use some summer fresh cherries. A simple, buttery, flaky crust topped with a sweet cherry pecan filling, what’s not to love? It is sure to be one of your new favorite summer cherry desserts!
Next, try our Blueberry Almond Galette!
Welcommeee Summer! Fresh cherries, and especially fresh picked cherries define summer for me here in Pacific NW. And while we’re still staying home, cherry picking is the perfect social distancing activity. Plus, is there anything better than fresh cherries? Yes, this Cherry Pecan Galette!
What is a Galette?
A Galette is a French pastry that is basically like a flat, free-formed, rustic pie that uses just one pie crust. In French is literally means “Flat Cake.” And what’s best about these “cakes” is that their very imperfections, the rustic “I just threw it together” look is part of their charm and their appeal. Which makes it perfect for when you want a pie, but also want to do a little less work. It is also known as a Crostata in Italian baking – both refer to basically the same beautiful flat fresh fruit cake.
Ingredients Needed: Pastry
The first thing you’ll need to make is your dough. Or you could totally use a pre-made one if you’re strapped for time, that works well too! But having a nice easy buttery, flaky bread dough recipe is pretty clutch to just have. And this one is ours!
- All Purpose Flour- You can also use a 1:1 gluten-free flour, too!
- Butter – Either salted or unsalted. We often use salted because it’s what we mostly have on hand. But either will work.
- Kosher salt – Just a pinch, only if you use unsalted butter. If using salted, just omit it.
- Chilled water – Just enough to bring the dough together.
- Semolina Flour – Just a dusting to help prevent the pastry from getting soggy under the cherries.
- Brown sugar and egg – For an egg wash and sugar finish to the crust.
How to Make
Making the dough itself is fairly simple.
First: Sift the flour and salt.
Second: Cut in the cold, cubed butter. The easiest way is to use a pastry cutter, but you could also use your fingers to crumble it up into the flour. But again, a pastry cutter is the best – this one is our favorite.
Third: Make a well in your buttered flour and then add the water. At first, it will seem like you don’t have enough water, but keep going until you have a dough ball. Then you’ll wrap it in plastic and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Ingredients Needed: Cherry Filling
While your pie dough is chilling, you can make your filling, the heart of the galette.
- Cherries – Bring on all of those fresh summer cherries! You can use frozen, too.
- Pecans – Given just a quick chop.
- Fresh Lemon Zest and Juice – Just enough to highlight that fresh cherry flavor!
- Flour – Just a little.
- Brown Sugar – Just a touch, but not too much that’ll hide the cherries.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Making the filling is as easy as pitting the cherries (here’s a great cherry pitter) and then mixing the other ingredients with them!
Then it’s just rolling out the dough into a large circle, adding the cherry mixture to the center, and then folding in the edges of the dough over the cherry mixture.
The best part – no need to worry about your folding skills. Unlike lattice work on a traditional pie, the more “rustic” looking the better on a galette!
Give it a little egg wash and then an extra sprinkle of sugar and you’re ready to bake!
Ahhh imperfect perfection.
SO delicious. A buttery, flaky crust with a sweet, subtly acidic, center with the perfect crunch from the pecans.
Our Other Favorite Summer Desserts
Homemade Cherry Garcia Ice Cream
No Churn Caramelized White Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
FAQs
It’s ok – keep kneading it! Resist adding more water. It will form.
No problem – that just means it was over chilled. But it can be fixed. Just take a rolling pin and slowly try to roll it out, flip it, and repeat. It will feel impossible at first but as it starts to warm up, it will loosen. Be sure to flour your rolling pin and do it on a floured surface or on the parchment paper.
At least 1/4 to 1/8.
Yes. You can make it 24 hrs in advance and store in the fridge.
So even though life feels anything but normal, the tastes of summer still can, and this Cherry Pecan Galette is one of our new favorites!
Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
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Cherry Pecan Galette
Equipment
- cookie sheet
Ingredients
Pastry Filling
- 1 lb cherries pitted and halved
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Pasty
- 1 stick butter salted or unsalted, see notes
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons chilled water
Final Galette
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 egg for egg wash
- 1 tablespoon semolina flour
Instructions
Make Pastry Dough
- Cut butter into cubes and return to fridge.
- Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Add cubed butter and with a pastry cutter cut in chilled butter until most of the butter is cut in – not so that it's fully crumbled and all uniform, just so that it's mostly incorporated.
- Make a well in the flour butter mixture and add chilled water. Slowly mix in to a dough. It will be shaggy at first and it will feel very dry but keep kneading it and it will form. Form it into a ball and then wrap dough in plastic wrap and then chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Prep Cherry Filling
- Mix pitted cherries with all other filling ingredients and mix well. You can make this up to 24 hrs in advance and store in fridge.
Assemble Galette
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove parchment paper from the cookie sheet and add it to the counter. Roll out dough on parchment paper into a 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick 7-8 inch round circle. Sprinkle the center of the dough with semonlina flour.
- Add cherry filling to the center of the dough and then fold up the edges of the dough so they just start to cover the filling. The more "rustic" the better – don't worry about if it's uneven.
- Whisk egg in a small bowl and brush folded over edges of the galette with egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until edges of the galette are browned.
- Serve immediately and top with ice cream!
I am ready to start baking this. It sounds incredibly delicious and loaded with favorites.
Cherries are my absolute favorite! Love this galette, Can’t wait to try it out. Thanks for such a detailed and easy to follow recipe.
That’s a delicious galette! Going to go cherry picking this weekend and then I’m definitely trying this out!
The combination of pecans and cherries makes this a first rate galette!
This is like pecan and cherry pie in one dessert – AND easy! LOVE