Fig, Blackberry & Hazelnut Rye Galette – fresh figs and berries atop hazelnut frangipane, with an easy rye pastry crust. Simple and rustic! Jump to Recipe
I am not a photographer by trade. When I first started The Brick Kitchen, I had hardly picked up a camera aside from a few blurred, yellow-lit iPhone snaps of desserts – which at the time I was quite proud of. I took it up by necessity: it’s difficult to make headway with sharing on social media without making it at least a little aesthetically pleasing. I can’t say it wasn’t a challenge – trawl back through the archives and you’ll see what I mean. (Actually, maybe don’t do that!) But I have grown to enjoy it – always on the lookout for new asymmetric plates, speckled bowls and vintage props, acquiring new backdrops and wishing I had more time to dedicate to trying something like stop-motion video. My only disappointment lately was finding a gorgeous thick piece of matte veined marble from a local tiling shop, and having to leave it at home in Auckland because it weighed something like 40 kilograms. Not going to happen on an international flight, that’s for sure.
Though it has gradually progressed, sometimes the a photography session just doesn’t go as planned. Like the individual pomegranate meringues that I struggled with over two days before finally giving up, or the pear pavlova that cracked and sank and became messier the longer I spent, mascarpone dripping down the sides. (Just writing that it seems that part of might problem might be with meringues in general!) But there was also the mini cakes that became a torrential blizzard of icing sugar, obscuring all the chocolate from view, and the uninspiring tiramisu jars that tasted like heaven and looked like preschooler-produced mayhem. Does anyone else have these issues? I can’t help but feel a vague sense of disappointment, like it’s effort wasted, but remind myself mistakes have to happen for eventual improvement – right?
But other times everything works. I manage to leave enough time to avoid the frantic hour before the light goes blue and stops streaming through the window, the colours work and I can’t even pinpoint what happens – it just clicks. Then my absolute favourite part of the whole process occurs.
I finish taking photos, happy with what I’ve managed, usually with tired legs from standing in the kitchen for most of the day and hungry from working through lunch. When it happens with something like this fig galette, the last piece I’ve photographed is sitting on a pretty plate with one of my grandmother’s silver dessert forks, and I’m shooting either on the kitchen table or down on the floor. Here I’d already scooped creamy vanilla ice cream onto my still-warm galette, which was starting to melt in rivulets down through the figs and rye pastry. And I sit there and eat it. Usually by myself, usually at an odd hour of the afternoon, and usually with my music playing through speakers in the background. And it is THE most satisfying thing I do. It sounds strange, probably, and I’m not sure why. I suppose knowing all the hours that went into researching and trialling the recipe, and then having the photos work out and discovering that it tastes like you’d dreamed of? The best.
I had that moment with this fig, blackberry & hazelnut rye galette. I hadn’t baked with figs before, and their subtle, delicate flavour was enhanced with the oven time, with the sweetness supplemented by juicy blackberries. The hazelnut frangipane is spread underneath the fruit in nut buttery layer that merges with the rye pastry below. That rye pastry is another revelation, courtesy of Yossy Arefi’s Sweeter Off the Vine – it may crack a little more easily than plain flour, but the nutty, savoury flavour it imparts is worth it. Galettes are also my favourite kind of tart – the least fussy, the most rustic, and the easiest to patch up. The fastest too, and when they come out of the oven, smelling of butter and bubbling with ripe fruit – you can’t beat it. It feels like the kind of dessert that everyone can dig into without hesitation – relatable, not intimidating.
- 2/3 cup rye flour (85g)
- 2/3 cup all purpose flour (85g)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 125 g unsalted butter (1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon) very cold
- 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup ice water (60ml)
- 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts , ground to a fine meal
- 1/4 cup caster sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter (45g)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons rye flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or essence
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons flour
- pinch of salt
- 6-7 large figs , sliced into thick pieces (I did about 3 slices per fig)
- 1 cup blackberries , fresh or frozen
- 1 egg , whisked with 1 teaspoon water and a pinch of salt
- demerara sugar for sprinkling
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In a large bowl, combine both flours and salt.
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Cut the butter into small cubes. In a separate cup, combine the vinegar and ice water.
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Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour mixture, pressing the cubes into flat shards of butter crumbled through the flour.
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Sprinkle about 3 tablespoons of the cold vinegar-water mixture over the flour, and stir in gently your hands until just combined. Add more cold water if it seems to dry, and there is enough water when you can pick up a handful of the dough and press it together without it falling apart.
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Press the dough together into a circular dish and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
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Make the hazelnut frangipane filling.
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In a small bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
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Beat in the egg and vanilla to fully combine.
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Add salt, rye flour and hazelnuts, and stir gently until just combined.
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Preheat the oven to 200°C.
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In a large bowl, combine the vanilla, lemon zest, caster sugar, flour and salt.
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Add the figs and blackberries and toss very gently to coat.
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On a piece of baking paper, roll out the rye pastry into a large circle, about 30cm in diameter.
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Spread the hazelnut frangipane over the middle circle, leaving a 4-5cm border around the edge.
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Arrange the fruit gently on top of the frangipane. Fold the edges of the pastry over the fruit and press to seal any folds. Seal any cracks in the rye pastry. Chill the tart in the fridge for 15 minutes.
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Whisk together the egg with a teaspoon of water and a pinch of salt to form an egg wash. Brush over the pastry edge of the tart, then sprinkle with demerara sugar.
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Bake for 30-40 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. Let cool about 15-20 minutes before serving with mascarpone or ice cream.
hahahah yes! i relate to this so much. i hate it when i’ve spent so much time on a dessert that tastes wonderful but comes out looking so meh both in real life and the photos. oh well though — it makes the successes so much more satisfying! xo
so true, the successes are the best! I did love your post on the guinness pie for how real life that was – so relatable.
Eating it definitely the best part even if it is stone cold . Your photography is beautiful you can tell all that hard work has paid off x
Ha true, I’ve been trying to not spend as much time on the photography stage lately (because I feel like sometimes a finish with like 100 copies of basically the same photo!!) so the goal is to not let it get stone cold…way easier said than done though!!
i understand it, but i hate it. if something tastes delicious, i want to share it even if my photography just isn’t up to showcasing it in the best light. i understand why it’s not as appealing online, but ugh it’s frustrating sometimes. anyways, this looks (and more importantly, sounds) delicious, and makes me yearn for (good; i had some meh strawberries the other day) summer produce even more.
Yeah that is so very true – I remember the backlash Nigella Lawson got that time for sharing a photo of a restaurant meal that was probably really delis but just looked pretty bad – it’s a balance! I think for that reason I really like having instagram stories as well, for a place to share stuff that I’m making more day to day that doesn’t look so flash haha. xx
i can certainly relate to this lol my main thing is not knowing how to recreate what’s in my head into a photo. this looks very delicious and sounds good too.. i am curious though as to how rye tastes in pastry.
Thanks Fatimah! so agree – sometimes I even plan a list / draw how I might photograph things before I start cooking, it makes it much easier!
Rye is lovely -it’s just a bit nuttier than regular flour.
I can definitely relate to this – it is hard to get a balance and so often what I think in my head is not how it ends up in my photos. My battle is constantly trying to find a light I like to shoot in. But i HATE BEYOND HATE bloggers who shoot something that looks beautiful but the recipe they give you is not thoroughly tested and it just ends up being bland or a big failure when you try it out. You always have a good balance of delicious recipes and stunning photography Claudia. I have been following your blog since it’s early days and I have loved your evolution throughout the whole process!!
YES so true – it’s so frustrating to make a recipe and it just full on does not work, and you know that is probably hasn’t been fully tested. or if other people in the comments have had the same gripes, so you know it isn’t just you. thanks so much Ruby!! x
Wow! It looks amazing in those beautiful pictures!!! Fig is one of my favorite fruit!!! Such a great recipe. Thanks for sharing:)
So agree! Love figs so much
This recipe is just stunning! But I also relate to all the not-so-great photos that go into making images this beautiful. I too fell in love with rye crusts through Yossy’s book and can imagine how delicious it is here. I have a fig tree in my backyard and will be hoping for an early harvest so I can make this.
Thanks Elizabeth!! Yesss I’ve used Yossy’s rye crust a few crusts now and won’t be going back for fruit galettes! And I am SO ENVIOUS of your backyard fig tree- that’s amazing!
I have photography issues all of the time!! You are doing a beautiful job though! And I’m right there with you on always being on the lookout for new staging items. I just took my kids antiquing yesterday and acquired some new items I’m excited about. It’s amazing what you can find…one man’s trash is another man’s treasure!
Thanks Lindsay! Antiquing is so much fun, and so good when you come home with new props to use! x
Your photography is always amazing and makes the food look so good, so don’t worry about that! I totally relate to this post so much. It’s so satisfying when a recipe works out as well as when the photos turn out. It’s one of the worst feelings ever when it doesn’t work out, haha. But I guess that is the nature of food blogging!
Oh thank you so much Madeline! and I so agree, that moment when you just can’t make it work really sucks – but exactly, it is the nature of food photography! I guess I hope as I get better that will happen less often, but I think your own standards get higher as well!
I could have literally written this post! I can relate to this so much. But sometimes, when things turn into a mess, I also love to re-work them so they can be somehow salvaged. My first (and last) time making pavlova was definitely unsuccessful, so I turned what I wanted to look like a cake into a sort of trifle in pretty glasses! And it was delicious. So there.
This galette is a stunner. Pinned for when figs will be in season! <3
that is such a good idea!! Pavlova is incredibly tough – I have just as many fails as successes I think! thanks Valentina x
First of all Claudia I have to say that your pics are stunning – the kinds that make me look at them lovingly!! Secondly I can totally relate to the photography pain and joy .. I have been doing this for less than a year and there is sooo much to learn. Photographing a tall cake is still teeth-grinding-ly frustrating for me! These flavors are totally amazing.
Aw thank you so much Jenny! That put a smile on my face in the middle of lecture where it probably looked a bit strange that I was sitting there smiling haha! And tall cakes are tricky!!! x
I love the rustic imperfect look of galettes and this one sounds scrumptious with the hazelnuts added in as a filling. I can totally relate when you’ve made your recipe, perhaps more than twice, but when it finally comes together in the end, and you are sitting there devouring every last morsel, it spells sweet success.
Thanks Cindy! I was wondering if it was a little tooo rustic so glad you like it haha. And with this, literally and figuratively sweet success!! so good.
I have photography issues ALL the time, so I hear ya! Whenever things aren’t working out, I just walk away and start flipping through my cookbooks and magazines. It usually helps drum up some inspiration.
I LOVE that you used rye flour to make the galette!
I so agree, a bit of pinterest scrolling, blogs, cookbooks and magazines is the best way to get a few more styling ideas and inspiration! Thanks Lisa x
Definitely the most satisfying thing. And always at an odd hour, right?
The galette looks absolutely delicious. The flavors, the ingredients – so good! xo
Haha always at an odd hour – normally right before dinner for me! thanks Tessa!
The trials and errors of the food bloggers life, how we end up sitting down to finally eat the food we labored so intently over and how it is the BEST feeling ever – I second all of what you wrote! This galette situation is seriously making me long for fig season even more than I already do! And yes, galettes are the best, I find myself making them more often than any other dessert!
So so true. It’s funny, my mum read this post and just could not relate AT ALL – so it’s good to know that other food bloggers feel the same way! Thanks Bella x
I keeping this one in my back pocket for when fig season comes back around. And, your photos are lovely.
thanks Sherrie! It’s always so tricky with you guys being the opposite seasons to us – I never know whether I should be cooking in season or out!
You definetly aren’t the only one! I struggle with this all the time. I’ve started embracing my messy side though and sometimes it actually pays off and I end up really liking how it looks. But other times it doesn’t had I console myself by binge eating the really tasty but unfortanetly ugly food. Those figs look amazing! I’ve been wanting to do so much with figs but I can never find fresh ones. Groccery stores or farmers markets-nothing. So I’ll just drool over this and cross my fingers.
Sometimes rustic and messy definitely pays off, so agree! Isn’t it frustrating when you make something that tastes incredible but you just can’t translate that to a photo. And yeah figs are normally hard to find here, but just a couple of weeks of the year they are everywhere!! Good luck finding them x
I like the mornings to photograph where we are – as it gets to the afternoon the sun comes round and the light is too yellow and glaring. I have abandoned styling altogether for the moment to see how I like a really minimalist photo style – it is insanely freeing to just tack up a white background and get going!
I love the idea of hazelnut frangipane – going to have to use it to jazz up some other recipes!
In love with this flavor combo! Beautiful galette.