What better way to follow a post on homemade ice cream than with this mouth-watering variant of fruit pie. I had a craving tonight for something sweet and summery, with a crumbly crust that melts on the tongue, so conceded to this rustic fruit tart.
While I don’t have a bad word to say about traditional pie, its near relative – the galette – is a delicious alternative. It’s a dessert that one doesn’t typically see at a potluck, say, or a dinner party, so if you’re looking to jazz things up a bit and get your friends clucking in excitement by your end of the table, a galette may just do the trick. Or a nacho sampler, if that fails. Aesthetics aside, a galette is also easier to make than pie, as it only requires one bottom crust, which folds free-form over the filling and is then baked.
As a filling, I used plums, peaches and granny smith apples, but you can create these tarts using any combination of fruits, I’m sure, including blueberries which have just come in season here in the Pacific Northwest. Be sure to serve the galette warm with a generous dollop of creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream and you’ll be guaranteed an invite again to the next potluck.
Preparation time: 25 minutes (plus 15 minutes of refrigeration time)
Cooking time: 45-50 minutes
(Serves 6-8)
Ingredients:
For the dough –
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus 1/4 cup for rolling
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
5 oz of chilled butter (about 10 tbsp), cut into small squares
3 tbsp whole milk
1 egg yolk
For the filling –
2 ripe peaches, cored and cut into eighths
2 large ripe plums, cored and cut into eighths
1 large granny smith apple, cored and sliced thinly
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 egg, beaten (for the crust)
2 tbsp sugar (for sprinkling)
Directions:
For the dough –
1. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then stir in the small cubes of butter. You can use two knives, in a criss-crossing motion, to cut the butter into the flour, or if you prefer you can use your hands for mixing. Mix until it holds together when you press it in your hands (about 2 minutes).
Combine the dry ingredients then mix in the butter
2. In a separate, small bowl mix the milk and the egg yolk, then add to the flour mixture. Mix with your hands for 30 seconds or so, until it forms a dough-like consistency that is soft.
Add in the beaten egg with milk, then mix
3. On a sheet of plastic wrap, place the dough and then form it into a flattened disk roughly 4 inches across – doesn’t have to be precise. Wrap it in the plastic, then stick it in the fridge for 15 minutes so it will be easier to work with when rolling. In theory.
Wrap the flattened disc of dough in plastic sheet and refrigerate
For the filling –
1. Position the oven rack to the centre of the oven and preheat to 350 F, then spread a large sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, toss the sliced fruit with the sugar, flour (for thickening) and ground cinnamon until the powder is dissolved.
Mix together the sliced fruits with the flour, sugar and cinnamon
3. Lightly flour a large work surface then begin rolling out the dough, now slightly cooled, to roughly 12 inches in diameter. Transfer this to the parchment paper and baking sheet.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 12 inches across
4. Arrange the fruit in the centre of the dough, however you prefer. I tried to be artsy but then ran out of space and let it become a free for all in the end. Be sure to leave at least an inch and a half around the sides for rolling up.
Arrange the fruit at the centre and leave 1 1/2 inches of free space
5. Fold the outside of the dough up over the fruit. You’ll likely have to make a few pleats or folds as you round the corners. It’s hard to mess this part up; the more out of sorts it seems, the more “rustic” it appears. Brush the edges of the dough with the beaten egg, as you would any pie crust, to help give it a golden colouring while baking, then sprinkle the remaining sugar atop the crust and fruit. Bake at 350 F for 45-50 minutes or until the crust is light brown or the fruit starts to bubble. Serve hot with ice cream and slice it into wedges like pizza. Enjoy!
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also like this Apple Galette.
gentlemangourmet 
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