When I was five, my grandmother asked me what my favorite color was. I gave the matter a good deal of thought, then told her that it was brown.
A hachiya persimmon tree in Corralitos, California |
Brown was not actually my favorite color. My real favorite color was light blue, but I felt sorry for brown since I knew that it was nobody's favorite color.
Little did I know that my grandmother simply wished to buy me a dress in my favorite color, and this little decision sent her racing around to every clothing store in town in search of a brown dress. (Thanks, Bubba!)
But when it comes to fruit, my tastes do tend toward the less popular (and I'm not just saying that to protect their imaginary feelings). Rhubarb (which is really a vegetable), figs and quince are three that I never tire of. Heck, I even like prunes.
But come December, it is fuyu persimmons that steal my heart, that I devour daily, that I spend yoga classes distracting myself from the agony of standing lunges by thinking up new ways to enjoy. I usually let fuyus ripen until they have a hint of give when squeezed. I cut the pretty stem out with a paring knife, slice the persimmon in half, then slice it into wedges and eat it straight up. I'm surprised fuyus have so few fans, given their sweet flavor, low acidity, and tender-crisp texture.
I wanted to feature their flavor in a different manner than the usual spice-laced pudding/cookie/cake, so I mixed up a batch of pâte brisée, rolled it into 6 small rounds, and topped it with the gooey flesh from hachiya persimmons and a fan of fuyu persimmon slices that had been hanging out in citrus zest and a bit of sugar.
These galettes make a sunny change to the pale fruit desserts of winter (apples and pears, I'm talking to you), with a juicy, fruity filling as pleasing as a peach pie. A crisp crust flakes against the tender, sweet fruit, its flavor boosted by the citrus zest and judicious amount of sugar.
Someone recently asked me whether a galette is like a fancy pie. I replied that galettes are more like un-fancy pies, being rustically easy to assemble and requiring no special pan, save a sheet to bake them on. Galettes are also a lovely way to make individual servings without having to buy special tart or pie pans. They are easier to transport than messy slices of pie. And they have a French name, so they sound fancy. And that's really what's important.
Fancy or non, these galettes make a superb breakfast or afternoon snackle, especially with a cup of good tea, as the crust contains whole spelt flour and the filling is mostly fruit. But served with a dab of whipped cream, crème fraîche, or a scoop of ice cream, they are decadent enough to count as dessert. Or cut them into wedges and serve them at a cocktail party.
You may even turn persimmons into someone else's favorite fruit.
Multiple persimmonality disorder:
Two-Persimmon Tea Cake
More Fruit Desserts:
*Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this persimmon galette recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.*

Persimmon Galettes
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
All-butter pate briseé:
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole spelt (or whole wheat pastry) flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 ounces cold, unsalted butter, in 1/2" dice (8 tablespoons/1 stick)
- about 4 tablespoons ice water
Persimmon filling:
- 1 large or 2 small, dead-ripe hachiya persimmons (see headnote)
- 2 medium, ripe fuyu persimmons (see headnote)
- 3 tablespoons sugar, plus extra sugar for sprinkling
- zest of 1/2 clementine
- zest of 1/4 lemon
- pinch salt
- squeeze of lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream (or milk, water or beaten egg) for brushing the dough
Instructions
Make the crust:
- In a large bowl, stir together the flours, sugar and salt. Scatter the butter pieces over the flour, and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles sand with lots of pea-sized butter chunks. Drizzle the ice water over, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a rubber spatula, until the dough will hold together when you give it a squeeze. Dump the dough out onto a counter, divide it roughly into 6 portions, and fraisage by dragging a portion of dough across the counter using the heel of your hand. Scrape up the dough (a metal bench scraper works well herand gently press it into a ball. Cut the dough into 6 even pieces (they should weigh about 2 ounces eacand flatten them into small discs. Put the discs on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
- Remove the discs from the fridge, and roll them out into 5-6" rounds on a lightly floured surface, dusting the rolling pin and surface with a little flour and rotating the dough to keep it from sticking. Stack the rounds on a plate and chill for another 30 minutes.
Prepare the persimmons:
- Remove the stem(from the hachiya(s), slice in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh with a spoon, keeping the gelatinous segments in tact. Discard the peel. Cut the stem out of the fuyus, slice them in half lengthwise, place the halves cut-side down, and use a sharp knife (serrated works welto cut them into thin slices, about 3/8" thick. Remove the brown seeds, if there are any.
- In a medium bowl, rub the sugar with the zests and salt, then toss in the fuyu slices and lemon juice to combine.
Assemble and bake the galettes:
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400º. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove one round of dough from the fridge, trimming the edges clean if you like. Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of hachiya flesh in the center, then top with a circle of fuyu slices (about 7 slices worked for me). Fold up the edges around the fruit, pressing on the pleats to stick them together. Place the galette on the lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining rounds of dough and persimmons.
- Brush the edges of the dough with the cream, and sprinkle the galettes with sugar.
- Bake the galettes until the crust is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling, about 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
- The galettes are best the day they are baked, when the crust is crisp, but they can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 or 3 days. Reheat in an oven or toaster oven before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Persimmon Galettes
This recipe is all about the persimmons, so be sure that yours are at the peak of ripeness when you make this. It calls for both the gooey flesh from hachiya persimmons (the heart-shaped ones that feel like water balloons about to burst when fully ripe) and squat fuyus (which should be bright orange and have a hint of give when squeezed, and whose flesh should be crisp-tender and full of flavor).
Makes six 4-5" galettes
All-butter pate briseé:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole spelt (or whole wheat pastry) flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 ounces (8 tablespoons/1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, in 1/2" dice
about 4 tablespoons ice water
Persimmon filling:
1 large or 2 small, dead-ripe hachiya persimmons (see headnote)
2 medium, ripe fuyu persimmons (see headnote)
3 tablespoons sugar, plus extra sugar for sprinkling
zest of 1/2 clementine
zest of 1/4 lemon
pinch salt
squeeze of lemon juice
2 tablespoons heavy cream (or milk, water or beaten egg) for brushing the dough
Make the crust:
In a large bowl, stir together the flours, sugar and salt. Scatter the butter pieces over the flour, and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles sand with lots of pea-sized butter chunks. Drizzle the ice water over, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a rubber spatula, until the dough will hold together when you give it a squeeze. Dump the dough out onto a counter, divide it roughly into 6 portions, and fraisage by dragging a portion of dough across the counter using the heel of your hand. Scrape up the dough (a metal bench scraper works well here) and gently press it into a ball. Cut the dough into 6 even pieces (they should weigh about 2 ounces each) and flatten them into small discs. Put the discs on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
Remove the discs from the fridge, and roll them out into 5-6" rounds on a lightly floured surface, dusting the rolling pin and surface with a little flour and rotating the dough to keep it from sticking. Stack the rounds on a plate and chill for another 30 minutes.
Prepare the persimmons:
Remove the stem(s) from the hachiya(s), slice in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh with a spoon, keeping the gelatinous segments in tact. Discard the peel. Cut the stem out of the fuyus, slice them in half lengthwise, place the halves cut-side down, and use a sharp knife (serrated works well) to cut them into thin slices, about 3/8" thick. Remove the brown seeds, if there are any.
In a medium bowl, rub the sugar with the zests and salt, then toss in the fuyu slices and lemon juice to combine.
Assemble and bake the galettes:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400º. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove one round of dough from the fridge, trimming the edges clean if you like. Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of hachiya flesh in the center, then top with a circle of fuyu slices (about 7 slices worked for me). Fold up the edges around the fruit, pressing on the pleats to stick them together. Place the galette on the lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining rounds of dough and persimmons.
Brush the edges of the dough with the cream, and sprinkle the galettes with sugar.
Bake the galettes until the crust is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling, about 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
The galettes are best the day they are baked, when the crust is crisp, but they can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 or 3 days. Reheat in an oven or toaster oven before serving.
ValHalla says
This makes me want to try persimmons again after a recent mouth-puckering experience: confusing fuyu with hachiya.
Alanna says
Ooo, that's the worst!
Daria W. says
Any suggestions for a gluten-free alternative? Sounds so yummy!
Alanna says
Hi Daria! I have yet to brave a GF pie dough, but you could try this recipe from Tartelette: http://www.tarteletteblog.com/2011/07/recipes-gluten-free-white-nectarines.html
It calls for millet, rice and sorghum flours. Let me know if you give it a go!
rcakewalk says
I have never tried a persimmon, maybe because they don't really grow here... but I need to now. My 5-year-old's favorite color is white, which is funny I think since it's the absence of color really. Although any white clothes on him don't stay white for long!
Alanna says
I'm pretty sure you would love persimmons! I love that your son's favorite color is white - adorable.
Jelena says
I made those the other day and was in love :) so i wanted to make them for my little one who's allergic to diary.Instead of butter i used coconut oil (it was going in and out of the fridge)...well,that was a struggle..and for the filling i paired pears and pineapple-because we ate all persimmons :) long story short it was awesome.
Your blog is true inspiration and thank you for it!
Alanna says
Hi Jelena!
Thanks for the sweet note! I'm so glad you liked the galettes, both the original and your variation. Coconut oil crust with pears and pineapple sounds like a winning combination. Yum! Thanks a bunch for reading.
Cindy says
Could brown sugar in place of white sugar be an even sweeter alternative?
Alanna says
That would probably be delicious!
Judith Rawner says
Beautiful photos! My persimmon tree took off this year so can't wait to make this!
David Gray says
Hello. I just wanted to mention something surprising. Most know Fuyus can eaten out of hand when hard, but if you try the same with Hachiyas you will spit them out of mouth.
However, if you thin slice hard Hachiyas and dry them they magically turn sweet and non-astringent, like Fuyus.
Just another way to deal with a surplus.
David in Woodland, CA.
Patricia Jordan Rutan says
Any advice on changing this recipe into one crostata instead of the 6 galettes? Want to make for thanksgiving but need to adjust to a single pie. How many of each type of persimmon and how much baking time?
Alanna says
That's a great question (and I'm sure that will be SO delicious!) I don't think the quantities should be too different but I haven't tried it myself so I'm not sure. Now I want to though! Please let me know if you make it and if the ingredients need to be adjusted, and I'll do the same if/when I'm able. :)
Kelly K Rose says
I have about 15 lbs of Fuyus right now. Planning to puree and freeze a large quantity (the old ice cube tray trick), but still have plenty for baking and cooking this next month. I don't have Hachiya persimmons, though. What might be a good substitute for the Hachiya puree? Thinking fig jam, and reducing the sugar to about 1 Tbls. in the galette recipe. Or would that be too sweet? Any suggestions?
Alanna says
Hi Kelly! Wow lucky you, I just love fuyus. Is the fuyu puree very different from hachiya puree? I wonder if that would work just as well! Otherwise I think fig jam could be lovely, or even apple butter or apricot jam. Frangipane could be fun too. Please let me know what you try!