Orange marmalade -- do you love it or leave it? I'm obviously in the "love it" camp, but I dare say that even if you're not -- the flavor combination in this galette just may convert you. A cookie dough crust, a layer of "cream cheese", and a layer of marmalade is all there is to it, but holy cow is this fruit pizza ever good. Fruity, sweet bordering bittersweet, comforting, delicious. And I feel like I've been neglecting oranges a bit on the blog this year, so time to make up for that.
I've certainly not always been an orange marmalade lover. In fact, I recall being completely horror struck upon my first taste as a child. No, I'm not exaggerating :) It was at one of those breakfast fares at a brunch where you could pick your own tiny jars of jam and such. I picked the clear, bright orange jar thinking it looked interesting. I was expecting a typical sweet jam and instead, got something bitter and mouth-puckering -- what a confusing experience! I've since (of course) learned to appreciate it for the beautiful spread that it is. If nothing, it certainly makes a powerful flavor statement.
One of my favorite combos used to be orange marmalade with cream cheese on toast. Now it's been a few years since I've had cream cheese, but I recently got an itch for some. In fact, the itch was so strong that I even picked up a jar of tofutti (which I've also not had in years, and which is typically a total no-no for me). And boy did that tofutti make me feel gross afterwards ? ... but that wasn't even the disappointing part. The disappointing part was that it tasted AWFUL with the marmalade. I don't know what the prominent flavor is in that white pasty stuff, but it certainly didn't pair well with the spread I had on hand. I felt the flavor needed to be a lot more tangy to pull things off... And so occupied with all kinds of thoughts about marmalades, cream cheeses, childhood musings, maturing palates, and the perfect marmalade toast, I found myself making this galette in the kitchen... until this creation settled all those thoughts into a perfectly satisfying dessert.
Two quick notes on the recipe at hand:
1. The "cream cheese" part doesn't actually taste or feel like cream cheese on its own. Just wanted to make that clear in case you're thinking of using it as such -- very tangy on its own. But once baked and combined with the marmalade it's just right.
2. I used store-bought marmalade. St. Dalfour makes an awesome fruit-sweetened version so I went with that. Hey, we're already making a crust and a "cream cheese" sauce from scratch, so something's gotta give ;) ... The good news is the one I used is usually quite readily available and is delicious. But in the event you can't find any, feel free to substitute with your own favorite jam instead. I tried this recipe out with cherry jam and fell in love, so I'm pretty sure you've got a lot of wiggle room to pick a spread to your liking. And if you're really into homemade stuff, feel free to use one of the jams from this blog (like this one or this one, etc.). But I say it's all about the marmalade after all ?
Orange Marmalade Galette
A cookie dough crust, a layer of “cream cheese”, and a layer of marmalade create the most delicious fruit pizza ever. Gluten-free, vegan and made without refined sugar.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices
- Category: tart
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: dessert
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Sauce:
- ⅓ cup raw cashews, presoaked and strained
- 4 tbsp coconut cream (the solid white part from a can of full-fat coconut milk chilled overnight)
- 1½ tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp coconut oil (I used a de-fragranced kind so you couldn't taste any coconut)
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- ¼ tsp guar gum
Crust:
- ¾ cup white rice flour (I used a finely ground kind)
- 8 tbsp cashew butter
- 5 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
Orange Marmalade:
- ½ cup your favorite orange marmalade (I used St. Dalfour's fruit-sweetened marmalade. See notes above for alternatives)
Optional Toppings:
- a handful of sliced almonds
- a handful of black sesame seeds
Instructions
- Blend all cream cheese sauce layer ingredients into a smooth sauce. Transfer into a jar and chill in the freezer for 15-20 mins while working on the next step.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Process all crust ingredients in a food processor until the mixture begins to form a ball (note if the mixture is too runny, add a bit more flour, if too dry, add a bit more maple syrup). Form the mixture into a ball with your hands and knead briefly, then flatten into a disk. Roll the disk out with a rolling pin in between two sheets of parchment into a rough circle that's about ¼" thick.
- Discard the top piece of parchment. Spread the "cream cheese" mixture evenly over the crust, leaving a 1" border unfrosted all around the edges. Then spoon the orange marmalade over the cream cheese layer by spoon-fulls and then smooth it out with a spoon to create an even and somewhat marbeled effect. Carefully fold up the unfrosted crust rim over the galette all around the edges to create a rim. If using: gently press some sliced almonds into the crust and sprinkle the center with black sesame seeds.
- Transfer the galette carefully along with the parchment paper it's on onto a baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 45 mins. Chill completely on a cooling rack and enjoy! (I recommend eating it the day of as the crust will become moist after a day or so).
Hazel says
Can brown rice flour be used instead of white? If I'm using regular cream cheese, how much should be used?
Audrey says
Hi Hazel, yes definitely brown rice is fine instead of white. You'll probably need somewhere between 1/3 to 1/2 a cup of cream cheese. Basically just spread a thin layer of it, somewhere between about an 1/8 and 1/4 " thick (or to your taste preference).
Anna says
Beautiful recipe! I have loved marmalade since I was little and my dad brought a huge jar of a mango-peach-orange marmalade from a trip to Australia. I would sneak spoons of the stuff when my parents weren't looking :) Have you tried the orange-ginger stuff St. Dalfour makes? It is my favorite!
Audrey says
Love the story, and yes, the orange - ginger one is delicious! :)
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says
I've only had orange marmalade once, and it was the texture I couldn't do. It was pulpy! I don't even like pulp in my OJ, certainly not in my jam. But I liked the flavor. The St. Dalfour doesn't look too pulpy, and I already love that brand for other things! I can imagine the creamy with the tangy fruity would be wonderful though!
Audrey says
Oh, interesting. I like the bitter orange bits, but I cannot tolerate pulpy drinks :3 In a baked treat like this though you wouldn't notice the pulp since it's baked in as though you were making a fruit tart sort of thing. You just get a creamy marmalade-y crostata essentially.
Ksenia @ At the Immigrant's Table says
I think the sprinkle of black sesame seeds would really take this baby to the next level - so visually appealing!
★★★★★
Audrey says
I know what you mean :) I love their look very much. Creates a nice color contrast.
valentina | sweet kabocha says
That crust seems perfect! I'm not a citrus marmalade lover to be honest, but this can totally work with any filling :D Good job - as always!
Audrey says
Yes, any filling would do. I loved it with morello cherry jam <3