Mini Strawberry Galette

I hesitated to call these galettes because I felt they lacked the refinement of classic galettes. For one, I rolled my dough a tad thick, and I may have piled on the fruit too high.
Are they some other kind of pie or tart? I don’t know, but I decided that perhaps I was being too hard on myself because these are galettes where it counts… in spirit and in their rustic free-formed features.
So I settled on mini strawberry galettes, a breezier pocket-sized pie; portable and simple, and the perfect way to get this berry season underway. Although we have a few weeks to go before local berries make their way to the market; strawberry, blueberries and raspberries from California are aplenty right now. They look so alluring, I can hardly resist them, but the early season berries from afar doesn’t always taste as sweet and juicy, so we nibble on a few and then find interesting and delicious ways to use up the rest.

Last week I had a quart of strawberries sitting in the fridge, we got them for our weekend road trip to Portland but forgot to take them with us. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them until the perfect opportunity came this past weekend. We had out-of-town guests and to take advantage of the gorgeous weather we’d been blessed with, we planned a beach picnic.
I was in charge of dessert and wanted to make something easy and memorable – I debated between these galettes and a crisp. In the end, mini galettes won because they’re portable and oh so pretty – the sort of dessert you bring to the beach to impress your future in-law. Plus, even though it looks like a lot of work goes into its preparation, it’s one of the simplest desserts you’ll ever make.

I like that galettes don’t have to be perfect since their imperfections lend to their charm.
Starting with a (white) whole wheat for the crust, it’s buttery and flaky with a nutty taste and heartier texture, crisp and tender. To let the flavour of the strawberries shine through, they are lightly sweetened, I typically let how sweet the berries are, guide the amount of sugar I use.

If you, like me, find yourself with a little too much fruit this summer, you should give these galettes a try. Don’t just make strawberry galettes; try peaches, blueberries, apricots, blackberries, plums, raspberries, etc. I keep an extra pie dough in the freezer for this, but frankly, it’s so easy to make, you can whip one up in a few minutes or grab some from the store.

And of course, don’t forget, a scoop of luscious ice cream makes the perfect topping for these little galettes.

Mini Strawberry Galette

2017-05-30 17:49:14

Delicious rustic and portable pies with a simple fruit filling, a perfect and easy summer dessert!

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For dough

1 1/4 cups white whole-wheat or all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling dough
1/2 cup (4oz) coconut oil, chilled & cut into pieces
1 tablespoon turbinado or natural cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 - 4 tablespoons chilled water

For filling

1 lb or 16oz fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 - 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar, plus more for sprinkling on galette
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Olive oil for brushing

Make dough

Combine flour, coconut oil, salt, sugar and spices in a food processor
Mix until well incorporated and dough is crumbly
Add apple cider vinegar and pulse
Drizzle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time until dough comes together
Alternatively, mix ingredients by hand, add water once the dough has a crumbly texture
Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or for as long as 24 hours

Make galette

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
Roll out dough on a clean flour-dusted surface (to about 1/2-inch thick)
Use an 8-inch round cookie cutter (or food mold or a round bowl around that size) to cut out dough, you should get about 6 – 8 circles
Arrange the cut out dough (rounds) on the prepared baking sheet
Combine strawberries, lemon juice, vanilla, salt and sugar in a bowl
Sprinkle cornstarch over mixture and toss gently to mix and coat
Add a heaping of the strawberry filling center of dough rounds, leaving about 1-inch border at the edge
Fold edges gently over fruit in an overlapping fashion
Brush crust with olive oil and sprinkle with turbinado sugar
Bake for 30 – 40 minutes until crust is slightly browned and fruit is bubbling
Transfer galettes to a wire rack to cool
Serve with ice cream
Enjoy!