Strawberry Galette

 

This is the simplest way to put a fruit pie together. If you’ve got some pie dough on hand (even a store-bought one will do) you can complete it in a flash. There’s just some rolling, slicing, filling, and folding to do. Oh, and I added a quick bit of spreading, too, in the form of a cream cheese layer between the sweetened berries and the crust.

I took the idea for the cream cheese layer from Sister Pie by Lisa Ludwinski. A lot of fruit pies in that book start with a thin layer between pie and fruit. I spread mine on a little bit thicker, which added some tang and richness to my galette without making you think you’re eating cheesecake. I really does seem to help keep the crust from getting soggy as well.

 

I also borrowed my crust formula and method from Sister Pie. The book makes pie crust drudgery into a labor of love, and with the proper care and attention, the resulting pastry is well worth the added effort. I highly suggest you get a hold of this book and see for yourself! That being said, this crust dough, and the one in this post or this post will certainly do just fine for your Strawberry Galette. I made the full recipe for Ludwinski’s “All-Butter Pie Dough”, which is enough for two crusts (or a top and a bottom crust), made this quiche with one of them, and stashed the other in the freezer to await my pie-making pleasure.

And so it was ready for me when I found local strawberries at their sweet, juicy peak. I didn't need to add much to make this wonderful deliciousness - bursting, exuberant summer captured in a golden pastry! Pure, sweet strawberry satisfaction!

You could add some other flavors like fresh basil, lemon verbena, or mint. You could adjust the sugar to taste. You could add other in-season berries or make a whole other fruit galette (see recipes listed at the bottom of the page). Just don’t let summer go by without enjoying something as much as I enjoyed this luscious strawberry dessert!

Strawberry Galette with Cream Cheese

Egg wash – a mixture of beaten egg and a little water, milk, or cream -  and a sprinkling of coarse sugar aren’t strictly necessary, but they do help make a shiny, golden, tasty crust. I also like to bake a galette like this until the crust is quite dark and crisp.

3 cups hulled and sliced or chopped fresh strawberries

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/3 cup sugar

1 single-crust pie dough, unbaked, kept chilled until ready to roll out

¼ cup cream cheese, softened

Egg wash and coarse sugar for the crust, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with a sheet of parchment paper.

2. In a medium-size bowl, combine the strawberries, lemon juice, cornstarch,  and sugar. Toss together to combine well. Set aside.

3. On a well-floured surface, roll out the pie dough into about a 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough to the parchment-lined baking pan.

4. Spread the cream cheese evenly on the dough, stopping about 2 inches from the edges all the way around. Mound the berry mixture on top of the cream cheese, stopping where you stopped spreading the cream cheese.

5. Fold the uncovered edges of the pastry up over the strawberry mixture, crimping and slightly overlapping as needed. The folded pastry should just form a rim encasing the fruit around the whole diameter of the pie, not cover all of the filling.

6. Brush the egg wash over the folded crust if desired and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake at 425 F for 35-40 minutes, or until the crust is a dark golden brown, the filling is bubbly, and the berries are soft. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into wedges and serve warm or completely cooled. Whipped cream and vanilla ice cream are good accompaniments. (This should go without saying!)

Makes 6-8 servings.

Other recipes like this one: Berry and Rhubarb Galette, Rhubarb Ginger Galette, Pear and Blackberry Galette, Plum and Grape Galette with Almonds

One year ago: Spiral Shredded Salad with Miso Ginger Dressing and Scalloped Corn with Sour Cream and Chile