Winter Squash Galette with Tahini Frangipane and Honey-Coriander Glaze
Why aren’t there more savory desserts? And especially on Thanksgiving: after gorging myself on turkey and mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce and rolls and stuffing and salad, the last thing I want to put in my mouth is a piece of pecan pie made with a gallon of Karo syrup and topped with ice cream. (No disrespect to Grandma Quinn, who made the world’s best pecan pie, made not only with a gallon of Karo syrup, but also with a flaky Crisco-laden crust, and topped with homemade old fashioned vanilla ice cream.)
This year, I set out to find a recipe for something I would actually want to eat after a huge Thanksgiving meal. Pumpkin pie has historically been the closest thing, so I started there, with a tahini pumpkin pie that turned out absolutely horrible and ended up in the compost. But I liked the tahini concept —nutty and sweet-adjacent, but not sweet—so I stuck with it and discovered this gorgeous apple galette with tahini frangipane inspired by the super-cool New Orleans pastry chef Bronwen Wyatt. I decided to try it with thinly-sliced delicata squash—a small, sunny squash with a tender, green-flecked skin. The result is a decadent but never-too-sweet dessert that’s at once rustic and impressive, rich and savory, unique and homey, and perfect for all your fall and winter dessert needs. (And yes, it is delicious with homemade old-fashioned vanilla ice cream, but also with Frankie & Jos Brown Sugar Vanilla, mmm.)
Advance notice.
The best thing about this recipe is that you can (and should!) make nearly everything in advance. The crust dough can (and, again, should) be made at least two days in advance and stored in the fridge; the frangipane can be made several days in advance and either refrigerated or frozen; and, unlike apples, you can slice up your squash in advance, too. You can even make the glaze in advance—I now have a jar of it hanging around in the fridge for the next time I make this, which, believe me, will be soon.
The key is this: Well actually, two keys—for one, make your crust in advance and let it rest. For two, use a super-sharp knife to cut that squash. Making crust in advance and storing it in the fridge allows the gluten to relax and the butter (or other fat) to firm up, so it’ll be flaky and tender, just the way you like it. As for the squash, I tried to slice it thin using our big German knife, with mixed results. When I pulled out the super-sharp and precise Japanese knife, however, I was able to make ultra-thin slices that curled up when cooking for that pretty ruffle look. A mandoline would work, too.
Time: 2 days
Active Time: 90 minutes
Serves: Twelve
Drink: Sauternes or another medium-acid dessert wine.
FOR THE CRUST
FOR THE FRANGIPANE
FOR THE FILLING
FOR THE GLAZE
Make crust.
1. Cut up yer butter; refrigerate
Cut your butter into little cubes and place in a bowl. Put the whole bowl in the fridge so the butter cubes stay cold. (You can leave them in the fridge as long as you want—the colder the better. If your butter isn’t very cold to begin with, toss the bowl into the freezer for a few minutes instead.)
2. Combine dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk flour and salt to combine. (You can also use a stand mixer if you prefer. Use the paddle attachment.)
3. Add butter to dry ingredients
Add the cold butter cubes and mix by hand, squeezing the cubes of butter to incorporate. It’s ready when it looks like a sandy mixture with large pea-sized chunks of butter throughout.
4. Add ice water
Slowly add ice water until the dough starts to come together. (Start with 1/4 cup, mix by hand, then add another 1/4 cup if you need more.)
5. Make a disk
Turn your dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat it into a one-inch-tall disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge.
6. Rest dough in the fridge
Let that dough sit in the fridge for 24 hours, or up to five days. This allows the gluten to relax and the butter to firm up, making for tender, flaky crust.
Make frangipane.
4. Whip tahini
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip your tahini on high until it stiffens a bit, about five minutes.
5. Add sugar
Gradually add the sugar on medium-high speed and beat to combine. The sugar should disappear and dissolve into the tahini. (It’s OK if it doesn’t dissolve fully.) Be sure to scrape down the sides.
6. Add butter
Gradually add chunks of butter and beat on high.
7. Add egg and salt
Beat for one more minute or until well combined.
Prepare your filling and your glaze.
5. Slice squash
Cut delicata squash into half moons, as thin as possible. You can leave the skin on or not—I think it’s pretty, so I leave it on.
6. Make your glaze
Place a handful of coriander seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat. Toast seeds until fragrant, and then add two cups of water. Simmer for a few minutes with no lid. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and add the liquid back to the pot.
Add the honey, juice from half a lemon, sugar, and a pinch of salt.
Bring to a simmer without the lid and reduce, stirring frequently, until thick and syrupy (about 15 to 20 minutes). (Note: If it’s still loose and watery, just keep on reducing—it’ll get there eventually.)
At this point you can stop and do the rest later or forge ahead. If you decide to cook later, reserve the frangipane, the glaze, and the squash in the fridge, but let everything come to room temp before using. Frangipane can rest in the fridge for several days; it also freezes well.
Put it all together.
7. Preheat your oven to 500 F
Use a baking stone if you have one, to evenly distribute heat.
8. Prepare your sheet pan
Layer parchment paper over a sheet pan.
9. Roll out your dough
On a lightly floured surface, roll out your dough into a rectangle about the size of a full sheet pan. If your dough cracks, don’t panic, just pinch it back together. It’s OK to have rough edges; galettes should be rustic-looking.
(Tip: As you roll your dough, check to make sure it’s not sticking to the counter. If it is, a bench scraper comes in mighty handy to release it cleanly. If you don’t have a bench scraper, a butter knife works, too.)
Place the rolled dough on top of the sheet pan lined with parchment. If your dough is warm and floppy, toss it back in the fridge for 10 or 15 minutes to cool off.
10. Add frangipane
Using a spatula, spread a layer of room-temperature frangipane over the dough, leaving a one-inch border. You may not need it all.
11. Add your filling; turn up the edges
Add your squash on top of the frangipane, again, leaving a one-inch border. I like to layer the squash like fallen dominoes so the frangipane stays hidden below and the edges ruffle up.
Gently turn up the edges of the dough to make a crust. If it cracks, don’t stress, just pinch it back together.
12. Turn down the oven; bake
Reduce the oven to 400 F and toss ’er in there. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, rotating halfway through. If your crust gets too brown too quickly, top with tin foil and keep cooking.
Um, excuse me?
What is frangipane?
Good question! It’s a sweet pastry filling traditionally made from almonds or almond butter, which is replaced here with tahini. If you’ve ever had an almond croissant, you can probably picture that sweet, translucent, nutty filling—that’s frangipane.
What is tahini?
It’s nut butter but made with sesame seeds instead of peanuts or almonds.
What does delicata squash look like and where do I find it?
Delicata squash comes in lots of different shapes, but its skin always looks the same: it’s light yellow with dark green flecks. Sometimes it’s long and skinny; other times it’s short and fat. It’s always much smaller than a traditional butternut squash—about half the size or smaller.
Can I use a different kind of squash?
Yes, I think butternut squash, acorn squash, and sugar-pie pumpkin would all work, but I have not tested them. (They may also be difficult to slice thin due to the larger size.) Steer clear of stringy squash like spaghetti squash, and do be sure to investigate whether the skin of your chosen squash will be tender and edible when roasted in this way. (If not, that’s fine, just peel it first.)
Apple galette with tahini frangipane
What if I want to use apples or pears?
Do it! I made a couple rounds with both apples and pears and they turned out gorgeously (see photo!). Red apples add a beautiful blush of color, and in general I think a tart red apple is both tastier and prettier than a pear version. If you do use pears, be sure to choose something firm, like Rainier pears, not soft, like Bosc pears.
What does “high-quality flour” mean?
I am fussy about flours, and I honestly never deviate from King Arthur, which is available at almost every grocery store. All-purpose flour is in fact a mix of other types of flours (like bread flour, pastry flour, and so on), and I trust King Arthur to make a balanced, high-quality blend. You never know what you’re getting with generic brands, unfortunately, and with pie crust the quality of the flour matters. THAT SAID, don’t stress—it’s a galette; it’ll be fine.
Can I use a Crisco or a store-bought crust instead?
Absolutely! I love me an all-butter crust, but if you have a favorite method or prefer to use a store-bought one, that’s A-OK.
Can I use a different kind of glaze?
Yes, definitely. First of all you can definitely make glaze without coriander, and you could add other kinds of aromatics instead. The glaze is the best part to play around with—let us know if you come up with anything amazing!
What if I don’t have a stand mixer?
No biggie, you can make the frangipane with an electric hand mixer or by hand, with a whisk. It’ll take a bit longer and you’ll get a little workout, but it’ll be fine.
