Autumn Honey & Fruit Galette

This rustic fruit tart is the perfect recipe for a weekend, the pastry needs to rest & chill which means you can drink a cuppa and watch a movie then come back to it later. A crowd pleaser for the whole family, served up with dollops of creme fraiche and extra drizzles of delicious British Autumn Honey. 

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

Sweet Flaky Pastry 

180g plain flour
1 tbsp golden caster sugar
1 tsp flaked sea salt
140g salted butter (cold)
1 tbsp Black Bee Autumn Honey 
40g creme fraiche (can substitute for full fat greek yoghurt or thick double cream)
40ml water (cold)
1 egg (whisked) to brush pastry
1 tbsp golden caster sugar (for pastry crust) 

Fruit Filling

2 British apples
1 British conference pear (ripe but firm)
3-5 large plums
½ lemon (juice)
2 tbsp Black Bee Autumn Honey 
1 tbsp golden caster sugar 

METHOD

Start by making the pastry, combine the flour, sugar & salt in a large mixing bowl. Take the cold butter and using the large side of a box grater, grate into the bowl. Using a dinner knife, stir the butter into the flour, gently coating each strand in flour. 

In a small bowl combine the creme fraiche, cold water & honey. Stir until the honey dissolves. Pour the cold liquid into the flour & butter mix. Keep stirring with the knife until the mixture starts to come together but is still a bit floury & the chunks of butter are visible. Tip onto a clean work surface and bring the dough together with your hands into a rectangular patty, roughly 15x10cm. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes or up-to overnight.   

Whilst the pastry is chilling, prepare the fruit, slice into 0.5cm segments, place in a bowl & squeeze with lemon juice to stop the apple & pears from browning. 

Lightly dust the work surface with flour, then place the chilled pastry on-top, dust with a little flour, then roll out roughly into a 25x20cm rectangle. Now fold the bottom third of the rectangle up, then the top third down over-the top (like a book). Pat down, then rotate 90 degrees, place the pastry onto a piece of greaseproof paper the size of your baking tray. Now roll the pastry out into a rough 30cm circle / 25mm thick, it doesn’t need to be neat, remember it’s a rustic tart!

Then lay the sliced fruit in a pattern or just spread it out with your hand, leaving a 4cm border around the edge, drizzle the fruit with honey & sprinkle it with caster sugar. Using the greaseproof paper, fold the pastry border over the fruits, press down at the joins to seal the pastry. Slide the greaseproof onto a baking tray, then place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes or up-to overnight. 

Once the tart has chilled, brush the border with egg wash & sprinkle with the remaining caster sugar. Place into a preheated oven at 200c & bake for 25 minutes, turn the oven down to 180c, cover the tart with foil to stop the top browning too much and bake for a further 20 minutes. 

*Top Tip* Place a clean baking tray in the oven when it’s preheating, then place your tart tray on top of this, this helps ensure a crisp tart base as the metal conducts the heat evenly across the base. 

Leave the tart to cool for 20-30 minutes, before slicing & serving with dollops of creme fraiche, extra honey and a sprinkle of sea salt. 

Author: @lucyrosetteturnbull