I grew up watching Julia Child reruns at my grandparents’ house. I still remember her always cautioning viewers to add “just a little speck” of nutmeg because “you don’t want people to taste it and say ‘ooh, nutmeg!'” In one episode, she even holds a nutmeg grater over a big pot of something and lightly taps the crank with one finger, like she’s trying to defuse a bomb. The same principle applies to this dreamy fig galette.
The figs are the star here, and everything else (rosewater, cinnamon, cardamom) is just backup vocals. You shouldn’t bite into it and think “ooh rosewater!” If you’re someone who usually doubles the garlic or adds a “dash” or cinnamon that’s really a tablespoon or two, trust me on this one and try it as written. Or even omit the rosewater and cardamom. You might be surprised by how much a quiet ingredient like figs can still sparkle.
What makes this fig galette so great (besides the figs themselves)
- It’s not too sweet. Between the figs and a little honey, you end up using just a dash of sweet stuff. This galette is rich and naturally sweet, but not syrupy or over-the-top.
- The crust is magic. Adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s cream cheese crust, this dough is both flaky and forgiving. You just spin it in the food processor, but here’s the trick: pulse the butter in first and then add the cream cheese. Bonus: the recipe divides the cream cheese between the filling and the dough, so you end up using 1 brick total and won’t be left with any weird odds and ends.
- It’s easier (and prettier) than pie: Galettes are charmingly rustic by nature, and they actually look better when you don’t fuss over them too much. A little uneven? Great? A rough edge here and there? Even better. It’s the kind of dessert that rewards casual effort with impressive results.
- It’s fig season! (if you’re reading this when I published it or during the summer and early fall months). Fresh figs don’t last forever, and right now they’re perfect. and this galette is one of the best ways to use them while they’re at their best.
Dreamy Fig Galette
crust adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s cream cheese crust
food styling inspiration from Helen Goh and Yotam Ottolenghi
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
For the cream cheese crust:
- 1 1/3 cups [165 g] all purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup [110 g] cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
- 3 ounces [85 g] cold cream cheese, sliced into a few pieces
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (teaspoons! not tablespoons!) cold apple cider vinegar
For the cream cheese filling:
- 5 ounces [142 g] room temperature cream cheese
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon rosewater** (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch cardamom (optional)
To assemble the galette:
- cream cheese crust dough (above)
- cream cheese filling (above)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey (divided)
- 12 ounces 1/4-inch-sliced fresh figs
- 1/4 teaspoon rosewater (optional)
- 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon water
- cinnamon for sprinkling
Instructions
- Make the cream cheese crust: Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and butter in a food processor fitted with a blade. Pulse a few times just until the butter breaks down into smaller pieces (there should still be many lumps, but no whole pieces). Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Add the cream cheese and pulse until everything is incorporated, but still a bit lumpy. Add the water* and apple cider vinegar, and pulse until the mixture comes together into a ball. Mold the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for about 45 minutes (I do this by putting the shaggy dough ball in plastic wrap, and then squeezing the plastic wrap to put pressure on it to turn it into a ball, and then I flatten it into a disc while it’s still wrapped).
- Make the cream cheese filling: Whisk together the cream cheese, egg yolk, sugar, salt, rosewater, cinnamon, and cardamom until the mixture is completely smooth.
- Assemble and bake the galette: Flour the counter, and roll out the dough to about 12 to 14 inches in diameter (flour it as you go, and keep rotating to make it an even circle). Move it to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the center of the dough, leaving a couple inches of crust around the edges. Sprinkle the cream cheese evenly with the chopped walnuts, then drizzle it with 1 tablespoon of the honey. Arrange the figs over the surface, sprinkle them evenly with rosewater, and drizzle with the rest of the honey (1/2 tablespoon). Fold one side of the galette toward the center (the fold should happen at the point where the filling ends). Repeat with the remaining sides, and finish by tucking the final side under the first side.
- Preheat the oven to 400° F, and throw the galette into the freezer until the oven is ready (about 10 to 15 minutes). This will help the galette hold its shape.
- Brush the dough with egg wash, and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown, and the figs have caramelized slightly. Let it cool on the parchment for at least 15 minutes before serving (30 minutes to an hour is ideal). Dust with a pinch of extra cinnamon (don’t go overboard), and drizzle with a little extra honey, if desired.
Notes
* If you’re not weighing your ingredients, you should hold back a little bit of the water, and add it gradually, just until the dough ball forms. Or you might need to use a little extra water. But if you’re using an accurate scale, you should be able to just add everything at once, and trust that it’ll come together just fine.
** The rosewater, cinnamon, and cardamom are here to highlight the flavor of the figs. They make the figs taste even figgier, without stealing the spotlight. But if you want to add extra cinnamon, or even a tiny bit extra rosewater or cardamom, it’ll still be delicious, but it will become a cinnamon fig galette. Careful not to overdo it with the rosewater and cardamom.
I adore this recipe!! I found it a few years ago and make it every year. Wondering if you could make several of these crusts and freeze them. I have a fig tree, and bake this galette multiple times a season.
Aw that’s awesome! And yes you absolutely can, as long as your food processor has a big enough capacity. But even if it’s not big enough to double the recipe, you can make the crust in a few batches. It certainly cuts down on dishes either way.
This is a very special recipe! Buttery flaky crust, and a magical filling
It’s one of my faves!
I made this yesterday and it was AMAZING!! I had to resist eating the whole thing! It was my first time making a crust with a food processor (partly because I just got one and partly because I was told you couldn’t get a very flaky crust if you didn’t do it by hand??) and it was perfect!
aw I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
do you think that this be made ahead of time and frozen? i have a bounty of ripe figs and i’d like to make several of these, and hold a few for a weekend event. thanks … it looks delish!!!
Hi! Yes, absolutely! That is a fabulous idea, and they will keep very well tightly wrapped and sealed (thaw them in the fridge, and then reheat them slightly in the microwave before serving, just to take the stale off)
(Also, sorry for the delayed response—in the middle of an international move, and I’m not getting to comments as quickly as I’d like to. Hope I caught you in time!!)
oooh, that’s great! i ended up not needing to freeze it this weekend as i had time to make it the day of. it was absolutely delicious and everyone loved it!!! and so easy to prepare. forget making pies, i’m a galette convert. i plan to keep making these for friends as long as the tree keeps pumping out figs. thank you for such a great recipe and for your response 🙂 best of luck on your big move!
Ah I’m glad you were able to easily make it work! Can’t wait to hear what other things you are baking with all those figs! 😀
Hi Kathryn! This looks amazing. I was wondering if it’s ok to sub the cream cheese for mascarpone in equal ratios, and have a similar if not the same result. Thanks!
Aw thank you!! I think that could work really well! You might want to start by replacing just half of the cream cheese with an equal amount of mascarpone to see how that goes first. If my memory serves, mascarpone can get a little meltier than cream cheese, and it might not set as readily when baked. But its flavor and texture is so wonderful!!
I made two of these tonight (one for my family and one for my boyfriend’s family). They came out delicious! We have an enormous fig tree in our backyard and it’s loaded with fruit right now. Every day we pick all the ripe ones and by the next day there’s another bucketful ready to be picked. I wanted to do something with the figs besides just eating them fresh, so this recipe was exactly what I was looking for. The cheesecake filling was perfectly balanced with the sweetness of the figs and the crust was buttery and actually flaky! I always have a hard time getting my crusts to come out flaky so I am beyond excited that I got it right this time. Thanks a bunch!
Aw this makes me so happy!! And lucky you with such a productive fig tree! My grandmother has one too, but she always has to fight off the birds to get just a modest amount each season haha. I never even thought of this recipe as a good way to preserve figs (since the galette freezes really well). Thanks so much for sharing this! 🙂
I love galettes, and this looks and sounds so delicious!! Unfortunately I’ve never seen fresh figs for sale here in The Bahamas. I’ll have to tuck this in my back pocket for a dreamy future life.
Ooh that makes me think I should try experimenting with a dried fig galette version! Figs are so perishable, and hard to find even when they are in season.
Yes please! Dried figs! I often have a couple just so, or with a few walnuts, for an easy dessert haha.