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Finally, the stone fruits are back! For some strange reason, I didn’t realize I was in love with apricots until a couple of years ago. Ironically, the apricot tree in my parent’s backyard is sick and bears a few measly apricots per year. Quite a tragedy. But the sadness ends there—Mom is also an apricot fanatic and has decided to make it her goal to make as many jars of apricot jam as humanly possible before apricot season ends. Unfortunately, but understandably, she becomes like Smaug the dragon in her hoarding of the jam. In fact, I’m lucky to get one jar out of every yearly batch.

It has barely been a couple weeks into the start of the stone fruit season, and already I can’t resist the little beauties at the Farmer’s Market. I had received a couple of dry oranges from one of the fruit vendors a couple weeks ago, and so I arrived this Wednesday to get back what I had lost. Not wanting to go up to the register empty-handed and demanding free fruit, I happened upon what they called “nectarcots” (really just baby nectarines) and stuffed a little bag full. I’m glad I did, too, because the man who rang me up was rather reluctant to give me some new oranges. Victory was mine, however, and I walked away from the booth with a huge orange to go with my “nectarcots.” I couldn’t help stopping by the next booth for a few apricots, either.

Inspired by the fruit and my constant desire for dessert, I made a little galette. Blueberries joined the nectarines and apricots in mine, but feel free to substitute any stone fruit in place of the ones I used.

Stone Fruit and Blueberry Galette

filling makes 1 galette / flaky pastry recipe makes enough for 2 galettes
/ adapted from Dappled by Nicole Rucker

For the flaky pastry:
2 tbsp (25g) brown sugar
3/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup (105g) boiling water
4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
3 sticks (340g/24tbsp) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2 inch chunks

For the filling:
6-7 apricots or other stone fruit, sliced (roughly 1 pound)
one large handful of blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
zest of half a lemon
scant 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

To make the pastry: Stir 2 tbsp brown sugar, 3/4 tsp fine sea salt, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, and 1/2 cup boiling water together in a measuring cup. Place in the freezer to chill (if you’re leaving it for longer than 30 minutes, set in the fridge instead).

Add 500g flour to a large bowl. Sprinkle half of the butter chunks (12 tbsp) over the flour. Flatten all of the chunks between your fingers and then rub the butter into the flour; grab handfuls and move your fingers like you’re sprinkling salt. Keep working the butter and flour together until you’re left with pea-sized chunks or flakes. Pour this butter-flour mixture onto a large, clean work surface. Spread it out in an even layer, then sprinkle with the rest of the butter chunks (another 12 tbsp). Toss together, then smear the butter chunks into the flour across the work surface—Nicole Rucker says “as if you were sliding a secret message across a table,” which is a fantastic description. Gather the mixture together in a heap again, then repeat the smearing technique until you’re left with large, thin flakes of butter mixed with shaggy flour. Gather the mixture into a heap once more, and make a well in the middle. Pour most of the chilled water-sugar mixture into the middle and fold it into the flour. Pour more liquid as needed to form a shaggy dough—you want to find the balance of working the dough as little as possible and therefore retain big flakes of butter, and working it enough that it will stick together when you roll it. If you need any more liquid, add 1 tbsp of ice water at a time just until your dough comes together.

Form the dough into two rough disks, wrap well in parchment paper or plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to two days. You can also store it, well wrapped, in the freezer, for a few months.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Whisk 1/4 cup sugar, zest of half a lemon, and scant 1/4 tsp fine sea salt together in a small bowl.

On a piece of parchment paper, roll one of the pastry disks into a 1/8 inch thick rough circle (save the other disk in the freezer for another galette, or make two now!). Lay your sliced fruit and blueberries out on the dough in whatever design you please, leaving a couple of inches of dough free on all sides. Sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the fruit, then fold the extra dough up on all sides.

Bake for 30 minutes, then turn the oven down to 375°F and bake for another 30 minutes. Cool at least 20 minutes before serving. A slice of galette is especially good with whipped cream. Enjoy!