Persimmon, Fig Honey and Mascarpone Galette

I never had persimmons before I was an adult, and now I look forward to this season specifically for their complex and exotic flavor. While you can make this recipe with Hatchiya Persimmons, as was used in the reference recipe, I used Fuyu because I like the appley-ness of their texture. With the “fig honey” and pistachios it tastes like a long lost holiday. You can slice your persimmons across the equator on a mandolin to create elegant circles that layer like stones in a river bed, or thinly sliced crescents that can be arranged like petals fanning out from the center. Go with the shape that moves you.

A quick note on the fig honey: I’m sure there’s a more elegant recipe for a similar concoction, but I love Bonne Maman’s Fig Jam and often have it in my fridge because I prefer it on toast. I love that it’s more like preserves with big pieces of fig throughout. So, I figured I could use the last of what was in the jar for this recipe and damn am I happy with the result.

Ingredients:

1 Pre-Made Pie Crust, thawed at room temperature; or follow this recipe.

2 Tbs Honey

1 Tbs Fig Jam, Bonne Maman or other

1 Tsp Cinnamon

1/2 Tsp Allspice

1 cup Water

3-4 Ripe Persimmons

6 oz Mascarpone Cheese at room temperature

1/4 cup Pistachios, chopped

1 Tsp Raw Sugar or Decorator’s Sugar for dusting

Preheat your oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 1: Make the Fig Honey

Stir honey, fig jam, and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until the mixture becomes a deep golden color and starts to simmer.
Add cinnamon and allspice.
Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes while you prepare the persimmons.
Let cool for 2 minutes.

Step 2: Prepare the Filling

Wash and dry your persimmons.
Slice across the equator with a sharp knife or mandoline slicer so that you get lovely rounds or slice into crescents no more than 1/2” thick at the rounded edge.
Place persimmon slices in a bowl.
Pour the warm fig honey bath over until the persimmons are covered; this way you aren’t cooking the fruit, but they will soften and absorb the syrup.

While the persimmons are bathing, chop your pistachios if you’re like me and buy them whole to create more work for yourself. If you have chopped pistachios, let the persimmons bathe for anywhere from 5-10 minutes.

Step 3: Assemble

Lay your dough out on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Spread your mascarpone cheese evenly in the middle, leaving roughly 2-2.5” from the edge uncovered.
Lay your persimmon slices on the cheese in either a spiral or blossoming pattern from the center.
Fold the bare edges of the dough over to cover the filling.
Again, you can do this in as few or as many folds as you like, but I tend to do about five, making a rough pentagram shape out of my galette.

Brush the “crust” edges with some of the fig honey and sprinkle with raw or decorator’s sugar.

Step 4: Bake

Bake your galette at 350° for 40minutes to one hour.
Ovens vary and I can never trust mine with what someone else’s recipe says, so I recommend starting at 40 minutes and check every 10 minutes thereafter if it needs more time.
You want your crust to be a golden brown at the edges and your house will smell like joy.

While the galette is baking, put the fig honey back in the saucepan on low heat.
Simmer until the color becomes richer and the consistency is almost as thick as your honey started.

When the galette is baked, let it cool for 5 minutes and then gently pour 3 tablespoons of the fig honey back over the persimmons in the middle.
Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and let cool for another 15-20 minutes.

Slice and enjoy!

You can always add a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream, but I tend to get too excited and eat half of it standing over the cooling rack.