Rhubarb Galettes with Hazelnut Frangipane and Salted Candied Hazelnuts
FROM VEG FORWARD
These mini galettes have it all: They’re sweet, tart, salty, soft, crunchy, flaky, and buttery. The hazelnut filling provides a luxurious buttery base for the rhubarb, echoing the salted candied hazelnuts on top (see page 220). I like to line up the rhubarb strips horizontally on the pastry, but you can go free-form if you want. None of the components of this desserts are difficult, and they all add up to something special.
Makes 4 (8-by-5-inch) tarts, each serving 2 to 4
For the crust:
2 cups/256 g all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
14 tablespoons/198 g (1¾ sticks) ice-cold unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch slices
¼ cup ice water, plus more if needed
For the frangipane:
8 tablespoons/113 g (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup/100 g granulated sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup/90 g hazelnut flour or ⅔ cup/90 g whole toasted and skinned hazelnuts, ground
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the rhubarb:
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 pound trimmed rhubarb stalks
2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
2 tablespoons coarse sugar, like Sugar in the Raw
To finish:
Salted Candied hazelnuts (see page 220)
To make the crust: Put the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor and pulse until combined. Add butter and pulse until the largest pieces are the size of walnut halves. Transfer to a wide bowl, and squeeze the butter pieces, flattening them between your fingers. Sprinkle the ice water over the flour mixture and mix it in evenly, tossing with a fork. If there are a lot of loose, dry crumbs at the bottom of the bowl and the dough won’t hold together when squeezed, add up to 2 tablespoons more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Press the dough together, gathering up any dry bits until the dough forms a shaggy, cohesive, mass. Transfer to a sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and press into a flat rectangle. Shape the edges with your hands so they are not crumbly. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and preferably 2, and as long as 2 days ahead (or freeze for up to 3 months).
To make the frangipane: Cream the butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer. Add the hazelnut flour, egg and vanilla and mix to combine.
To prep the tarts: Heat the oven to 400°F, with a rack in the middle. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Let the dough soften slightly at room temperature until malleable enough to roll out. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces and, on a lightly floured surface, roll one piece at a time (keeping the rest of the dough chilled) into a 7-by-10-inch rectangle, keeping the edges as uniform as possible. Place 2 rectangles side-by-side on each of two baking sheets. Use an offset spatula to spread the frangipane among the rolled pieces of dough, dividing it evenly, and leaving a 1-inch border. Chill for at least 15 minutes until firm.
To assemble the tarts: Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and in a small bowl, rub the vanilla into the sugar until evenly distributed. Cut the rhubarb into 4 ½ -inch lengths and quarter lengthwise. In a large bowl, toss the rhubarb with the lemon juice, then with the vanilla sugar.
Top each piece of dough with the rhubarb, lining the pieces up crosswise, and pour any leftover juices over the tops of the tarts. Fold the dough over to enclose just the edges of the filling. Chill again until firm, 15 to 30 minutes.
Brush the exposed pastry with cold water and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake on the middle rack for 30 to 40 minutes, until the juices are bubbling, and the crust is deep golden brown.
Transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm or room temperature. Sprinkle with the candied hazelnuts just before serving.
