I had been searching and searching for fresh figs for the loooongest time, and kept coming up short. Then one day I happened upon some gorgeous figs when I wasn't even looking for them! I bought them, brought them home, and...I had no idea what to do with them! After a few moments in my pantry I had a plan, and this Hazelnut Fig Galette was born!
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This Hazelnut Fig Galette has a sweet pastry crust filled with homemade hazelnut paste, topped with figs drizzled with honey and vanilla bean paste! I served it with a dollop of crème fraîche and it was *chef's kiss*!
If you enjoy this recipe, check out the posts for my Rosemary Almond Apple Galette, Hazelnut Espresso Truffles, and Hazelnut Espresso Shortbread!
Making the Fig Galette Pastry
The recipe for the sweet pastry is straightforward, it just takes some time since it needs to chill after you make it. The pastry is just barely sweet, which is the perfect complement to the rest of this galette!
I use vanilla bean paste in the dough (and on the figs!) for an extra punch of flavor. Those black flecks of vanilla bean are so gorgeous in the dough! You can find vanilla bean paste online here. If you prefer to substitute, you can use an equal measure of vanilla extract.
After chilling, I roll the galette crust out on pre-cut nonstick parchment so that I introduce less flour into the dough and for easier transfer from the countertop to the baking pan. If you're interested in getting some of this parchment for yourself, you can find it here.
Toasting Hazelnuts
I can rarely find hazelnuts at my local grocery store. If you can’t find them, you can buy them online here.
To toast/skin the hazelnuts:
- Preheat your oven to 350° F. Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until slightly golden and fragrant.
- Fold the warm, toasted hazelnuts inside a kitchen towel and let sit for 5 minutes so the steam will help the skins come off. Rub the hazelnuts in the towel to remove as much of the skins as you can (they don't have to be perfect!). Hazelnuts can be toasted/skinned ahead of time and stored in an airtight container after cooling completely.
Once your hazelnuts are toasted and skinned, the hazelnut paste comes together in just a few moments in your food processor! Again, I kept this component just slightly sweet. If you prefer more sweetness, you can increase the amount of powdered sugar.
Filling the Galette
Before spreading the hazelnut paste on the crust, I mark an 8" circle in the center of the dough using an overturned 8" cake pan. Just place the pan in the center of the dough and press down lightly to leave an impression. This serves as a nice guide as to where to spread the filling, and keeps the galette nice and round.
I used black figs for this galette, but you can use whatever kind of figs you prefer/can find. Don't be shy about packing the figs in there a bit and placing a second layer of figs on top, as the figs will shrink when baked.
Galette Helpful Hints
Just a few notes to help you on your way:
- You want to keep the dough chilled as you work with it, but if it's too cold when you try to fold the edge over, the pastry will break. If your dough is breaking, leave it for a bit on the counter for the butter to warm and it should be more pliable. The dough is also rather forgiving, so if you have a break or tear, you can push it back together with your fingers and all will be well!
- Some components can be made ahead of time to save you time later: the pastry, wrapped tightly, can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days. The hazelnuts can also be toasted/skinned ahead of time, just be sure that they're completely cool before putting them in a storage container.
- Check the galette during baking to be sure it isn't overbrowning. I tented mine with foil after 30 minutes of baking because I didn't want it to brown any further.
- This galette is delicious served warm or at room temperature!
- In keeping with the not-so-sweet trend of this dessert, I served mine with a dollop of crème fraîche and the pairing is just lovely! That said, you could also serve with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 🙂
I'm really in love with this galette! The flavors of the hazelnuts, figs, honey, and vanilla complement each other so well! And the textures! Each bite has the crisp pastry, the gooey hazelnut paste, tender figs, and the crunch of the chopped hazelnuts. It's heavenly!
Other Recipes You May Like
Hazelnut Fig Galette
Ingredients
Sweet Pastry:
- 1½ cups flour
- 7 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, diced
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (see note)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon milk, cold (I used whole)
Hazelnut Paste:
- 1 cup hazelnuts (see note)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (1 stick)
- 2 tablespoon powdered sugar
Fig Filling:
- 12-16 fresh figs, quartered
- 3 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Topping:
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon water
- raw sugar, if desired
- ¼ cup hazelnuts, chopped
- crème fraîche, if desired (to serve alongside)
Instructions
For Pastry:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour and butter. Mix on low speed until mixture resembles coarse sand.
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste (see note) and mix to combine.
- Add egg yolk and milk. Mix just until combined.
- Turn the dough out onto your work surface and gently work into a ball. Form the dough into a disc, wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
- After chilling, remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a sheet of parchment paper (see note). My pre-cut parchment is 12"x16", so I used those dimensions as a guide to help me roll the dough into a 10" circle on the parchment. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour as necessary to prevent sticking, being mindful to not introduce too much additional flour.
- Using the parchment, transfer the dough to a baking sheet and refrigerate while you make the filling.
Toasting Hazelnuts:
- Preheat your oven to 350° F. Place 1¼ cups of hazelnuts (1 cup for the filling and ¼ cup for topping) on a baking sheet. Toast hazelnuts 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until slightly golden and fragrant.
- Fold the warm, toasted hazelnuts inside a kitchen towel and let sit for 5 minutes so the steam will help the skins come off. Rub the hazelnuts in the towel to remove as much of the skins as you can (they don't have to be perfect!). Hazelnuts can be toasted/skinned ahead of time and stored in an airtight container after cooling completely.
For Hazelnut Paste:
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the toasted/skinned hazelnuts (see note) until finely ground. Add butter and powdered sugar and process until the mixture is as smooth as possible.
- Remove the crust from the refrigerator and, with the crust still on the parchment on the baking sheet, spread the hazelnut paste on top in an 8" circle in the center, leaving a ~2" border all around. (I set an 8" cake pan in the center of the dough and lightly pressed down to form an 8" circle on the dough. This serves as a nice guide as to where to spread the filling, and keeps the galette nice and round.)
For Filling:
- Preheat the oven to 375° F. Place the quartered figs on top of the hazelnut paste, still leaving the outside 2" of the dough uncovered. Don't be shy about packing the figs in there a bit or having another layer on top, as the figs will shrink in size when baked.
- Combine the honey and vanilla bean paste (see note) and drizzle over the figs.
Assembly/Topping:
- Fold the outside edge of the dough over to finish the galette crust. The dough should still be cool, but if it's too cold it will break instead of folding! If your dough is breaking, leave it for a bit on the counter for the butter to warm and it should be more pliable.
- Coarsely chop the toasted hazelnuts and sprinkle over the top of the galette.
- Combine the egg and water to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash on the crust and sprinkle the dough with raw sugar (if desired). There isn't much sweetness in this galette, so I really liked the added sweetness and crunch from the raw sugar.
Baking:
- Bake 35-40 minutes. I tented my galette with foil after 30 minutes to keep it from overbrowning. This galette is delicious served warm or at room temperature. Serve with crème fraîche, if desired.Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate.
Michele
I found some beautiful figs at the store and really wanted a recipe that would showcase them. We loved it!
Amee
I'm so happy that you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for your review, Michele!
Stacy
You don't see a recipe calling for fresh figs very often! I made this for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it!
Amee
So honored that you made my recipe for Thanksgiving, and so happy that it was enjoyed! Thanks so much for your review!