Greengage, Blackberry and Hazelnut Galette with Spelt Pastry

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Galettes are super versatile, simple to shape and look really impressive. This one is filled with a hazelnut frangipane, greengages tossed in vanilla, and an early crop of blackberries; a delicious celebration of late summer produce, especially when served warm from the oven with a generous helping of ice cream or whipped mascarpone.

Ingredients

For the pastry

  • 150g spelt flour
  • 75g plain flour
  • 30g golden caster sugar
  • pinch salt
  • 100g unsalted butter, chilled
  • 2tsp white wine vinegar
  • 50ml fridge-cold water
  • zest 1 lemon

For the filling

  • 100g unsalted butter, soft
  • 100g golden caster sugar
  • 2 eggs, 1 for the frangipane, 1 for glazing
  • 100g hazelnuts, blitzed until fine
  • 75g plain flour
  • 300g greengages, halved and de-stoned
  • 1/2tbsp corn flour
  • 1 vanilla pod, split
  • handful blackberries
  • 1/2tbsp demerara sugar
  • sprinkling of chopped hazelnuts (optional)

Method

  1. Start off by making the pastry. Place the flours, sugar, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse until it resembles breadcrumbs. At this stage add the water, vinegar and lemon zest and pulse again until the mix just comes together in large lumps (alternatively, rub the butter into the flours, salt and sugar using your fingertips then stir in the water, vinegar and lemon zest using a cutlery knife). Tip the dough out and shape into a disc using your hands. Wrap in cling film and chill for 20 minutes.
  2. While the pastry is chilling, prepare the filling, starting with the hazelnut frangipane. Place the butter and sugar in a bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment) and beat until light and creamy. Add in one egg and beat again until well incorporated, then fold through the ground hazelnuts and plain flour. Set aside.
  3. Scrape the vanilla seeds from the pod and toss together with the halved greengages and corn flour (corn flour helps soak up any excess juices the greengages might release). Preheat the oven to 180c and place a large baking tray on the oven shelf (this ensures that the base of the galette cooks through and is crisp- no soggy bottoms here!).
  4. Once your pastry has firmed up a little, roll into a large 3mm thick circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to a piece of baking paper. Dollop the frangipane into the centre of the pastry, then spread out evenly, leaving a border of roughly 3 inches. Arrange the greengages on top of the frangipane, followed by the blackberries. Fold the edges of the pastry loosely over the filling, then brush with the remaining egg. Finish by sprinkling the demerara sugar all over the pastry and filling.
  5. Transfer the galette onto the hot baking tray and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp, and the frangipane is cooked through.
  6. To serve, sprinkle the galette with toasted chopped hazelnuts. Serve warm with ice cream or slightly sweetened mascarpone (it is also delicious cold!).

 

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Strawberry and Elderflower Sorbet

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London has reached a Monica’s-massive-hair level of humid, so sorbet seems like the only sensible thing to make. Strawberries are a must this month (I know they’re linked with Wimbledon- that’s where my knowledge of tennis starts and ends), so I’ve used them to create a fresh puree which forms the base of this sorbet, along with elderflower cordial.

Ingredients

  • 800g fresh strawberries, stalks removed
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 50ml elderflower cordial
  • 20ml water

Method

  1. Blitz the strawberries with a hand blender or in a food processor, then pass through a sieve. Discard the seeds. Weigh out 650ml of puree.
  2. Place the caster sugar, cordial and water in a small saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Pop the syrup and the puree in the fridge until both are chilled, then stir together.
  3. Taste and add stir in a little more elderflower cordial, if necessary. Tip into an ice cream churner and churn until smooth and thick.
  4. Decant the sorbet into an airtight container and leave to freeze for at least 3 hours. Take the sorbet out of the freezer around 10 minutes before you’d like to serve it.