For many of us, Mother’s Day is not just about spending time with the maternal figures in our lives, but about putting in that quality time together in the kitchen. “I always spend the day with my mom, and that almost always means we’re cooking something!” says Rebecca Firkser, food writer and author of the upcoming Galette! cookbook.
Galette!, to be released by Artisan Books on June 24, 2025, is full of recipes perfect for Mother’s Day baking. Focused on the humble yet beautiful, pie-like galette, the book’s 50 recipes range from savory to sweet and include delicious variations such as a leek and sour cream “quiche” galette; a scallion, asparagus and miso galette; a roasted and raw berry and lemon galette and a rhubarb and halva galette.
We chose a recipe perfect for brunch, dessert or an afternoon tea: the apricot and pepita-sesame frangipane galette. “This galette was a favorite of mine from the beginning, and even as I continue to remake others it’s stayed in my top five. It’s actually one of the few I can honestly say I never got tired of throughout development and testing,” Firkser told Wine Spectator.
Galettes are an ideal treat to bake for an occasion like Mother’s Day, because they are showy but are much easier than they look, with their free-form crust requiring less effort than a pie or tart. “Galettes involve a bit of skill, but allow for a margin of error where bakers can embrace the pastry’s rustic, gloriously imperfect side,” says Firkser.
The apricot and frangipane galette brings an extra level of ease to a holiday meal because you can make the dough for the crust and the frangipane filling ahead of time. You can even use canned apricots if you can’t find fresh ones, suggests Firkser. Overall, the prep is a breeze, and the galette comes out looking crispy and luscious.
For a Mother’s Day wine pairing with this galette, something sparkling is in order. “I’d say a dry sparkling white like Field Recordings Salad Days,” suggests Firkser. Winemaker Andrew Jones brings a sense of humor, irreverence and experimentation to the winery’s bottlings from California’s Central Coast. “The bubbles keep things bright and fresh, and it’s fairly low ABV, which is great for serving at brunch or lunch, though I’d drink it all evening too.”
Below are nine Wine Spectator suggestions for dry California sparkling wines— all scoring 89 points or higher and priced at $40 or less—to toast with on Mother’s Day. Enjoy!
Apricot and Pepita-Sesame Frangipane Galette
Excerpted from Galette! by Rebecca Firkser (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2025. Photographs by Jessica Marx.
Ingredients
- For the Dough
- ½ cup (115 g) water
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2¾ cups (345 g) spooned and leveled all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal or ¾ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- 2½ sticks (10 ounces/285 g) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch (13 mm) cubes, chilled
- For the Filling
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar, plus more for sprinkling
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) unsalted roasted pepitas (a type of pumpkin seed) or sunflower seeds
- 3 tablespoons (30 grams) buckwheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal or 1/4 teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- 1/4 cup (65 grams) tahini
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon rose water or almond extract, optional and depending on preference
- 3 tablespoons (25 grams) sesame seeds
- 1 standard disk of pastry crust*
- 3 to 4 apricots (about 7 ounces/200 grams), pitted (no need to peel) and quartered
- About 1 cup flaky sea salt
Making the Dough
1. In a liquid measuring cup or a small bowl, combine the water and the vinegar. Place this in the freezer while you work on the next steps.
2. In a large bowl, use your fingers or a fork to combine the flour, sugar, and salt.
3. Add the butter to the large bowl and use your fingers or a fork to gently toss around the butter to coat it in the flour mixture. Use your fingers to smash and rub the butter into the flour mixture until it forms flat pieces mostly the size of cannellini beans (about ¾ inch/2 cm) with some smaller (think chickpeas and lentils; about ½ and ¼ inch/13 and 6 mm). The mixture should still look dry and crumbly.
4. Remove the water-vinegar mixture from the freezer. Drizzle half of the water-vinegar mixture over the flour-butter mixture. Working from the bottom of the bowl up, use your fingers or a fork to gently toss the mixture together, as if you were tossing a salad. Drizzle over another splash of the water-vinegar mixture and toss. Continue to drizzle and toss until a shaggy, chunky mixture forms. It should not be completely combined yet, but there also should be no totally dry areas of flour (look for pebbles of moistened flour, not pure powder). You may not need the full amount of water-vinegar mixture. When in doubt, err on the dry side: You can always add liquid, but you can’t take it away.
5. Here’s how to know if you’re in a good place: Pick up a handful of the mixture and squish it. It should mostly hold its stuck-together shape; if not, drizzle an additional 1 teaspoon water-vinegar mixture on the driest areas and toss again, repeating until it holds together.
6. Dump the mixture onto a clean work surface and use your hands to pat it together into a rectangular mass about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. If you find any more areas that look totally dry, drizzle them with another 1 teaspoon water-vinegar mixture.
7. Use your hands or a bench scraper to fold the mass of dough over itself. Press down the dough until it’s about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick again. (The dough shouldn’t be moist or sticky, but if so, sprinkle it with a bit of flour as you fold.) Repeat folding and pressing down the dough two or three times. As you fold the dough over itself, the shaggy mass will form into a cohesive dough (this is also going to help the crust bake off extra-flaky). The butter should not blend all the way in, and the surface of the dough should look like marble or wood grain.
8. Divide the dough in half, placing each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap the dough in the plastic wrap, then press it into a round about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 5 days.
Making the Filling
1. In a food processor, combine the 1/2 cup sugar, pepitas, buckwheat flour and kosher salt and pulse until the mixture is finely ground, like almond flour. Pulse in the tahini, butter, one of the eggs and the rose water (if using) until mostly smooth. Pulse in 2 tablespoons of the sesame seeds until just combined but not blended.
Note: If not baking the galette immediately, refrigerate the frangipane in an airtight container for up to one week; bring to room temperature by letting it sit out until spreadable (for up to 2 hours) before using.
Making the Galette
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack positioned in the center. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Roll the dough into a 13 ½-inch round and set it on the lined sheet pan.
3. Spoon the frangipane into the crust, leaving a 2-inch (5-centimeter) border. Arrange the apricots cut-side up over the filling evenly in a single layer. (There will be some open spaces where the filling is visible.) Fold the edges of the crust over the filling toward the center, overlapping and pleating as desired. Freeze the galette on the sheet pan for 10 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg to make an egg wash. Remove the galette from the freezer and brush the egg wash over the exposed crust. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame seeds over the crust, then sprinkle the additional sugar over the entire galette.
5. Bake until the crust is starting to turn golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue to bake until the crust is deeply golden brown and the filling has puffed, another 25 to 35 minutes, rotating the pan front to back halfway through.
6. Remove the galette from the oven and sprinkle it with some flaky sea salt. Cool, uncovered, for at least 15 minutes and up to 8 hours. Slice and serve. Serves 6 to 8.
9 Sparkling Wines from California for Mother’s Day
DOMAINE CARNEROS
Score: 93 | $39
WS Review: Plush and round, offering sumptuous cherry and pear flavors laced with crème brûlée and roasted nuts, this builds richness to the rich finish. Drink now. 16,000 cases made. —Tim Fish
ROEDERER ESTATE
Score: 93 | $32
WS Review: Dynamic yet sleekly elegant, with rich strawberry and apple flavors that are accented by spiced cinnamon and yeast roll as this dances toward the vibrant finish. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Drink now through 2026. 85,000 cases made.—T.F.
GLORIA FERRER
Score: 92 | $40
WS Review: Rich yet dynamic, with luscious baked apple and strawberry flavors that open to brioche, fresh ginger and roasted nut accents on the lingering finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now. 1,850 cases made.—T.F.
DOMAINE CHANDON
Blanc de Blancs Los Carneros By The Bay Carneros Vineyard Reserve NV
Score: 91 | $32
WS Review: Vivacious with acidity, this features vibrant accents of lemon, orange blossoms and vanilla cream that finish on a refreshing note. Drink now. 7,166 cases made. —T.F.
SCHRAMSBERG
Brut North Coast Mirabelle 33rd Bottling NV
Score: 91 | $31
WS Review: Plush yet vibrant, with a lilting mix of baked apple and strawberry notes accented by brioche and roasted almond tones on the lush finish. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Drink now. 8,940 cases made.—T.F.
PAULA KORNELL
Score: 90 | $22
WS Review: Expressive and vivacious, showing pretty apple and lime flavors laced with notes of vanilla and spices before finishing on a zesty accent. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Drink now. 20,000 cases made.—T.F.
BON VIVANT
Score: 89 | $20
WS Review: Steely and vibrant, with lively citrus and apple flavors that zip along the refreshing finish. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Drink now. 3,500 cases made.—T.F.
MUMM NAPA
Blanc de Blancs Napa County NV
Score: 89 | $27
WS Review: Sleek and spirited, with appealing lemon and nectarine flavors that take on creamy notes of brown baking spices. Drink now. 5,000 cases made.—T.F.
MUMM NAPA
Score: 89 | $24
WS Review: Vibrant and sleek, with lilting Meyer lemon and strawberry flavors laced with creamy notes of spices and orange blossoms. Drink now. 250,000 cases made. —T.F.
