Huckleberry Galette
By Cat, May 2009 (Tart and photo, right, by Cat)
Includes: 1. Peach & Blueberry (or Huckleberry) Galette (Rustic Tart)
See also: 1. Pie & Tart Crusts, Pastry; 2. Pies, Tarts, Turnovers
Tarts are the ancestor of American pies. French tarte are very sophisticated (see Tarte aux Poires for an example); Italian Crostata and French Galettes are rather rustic and homespun. (Crostata/Galette are basically the same, just a different name in different language). But from one extreme to the other, and also in-between, they are simply delicious.
The rustic tarts are formed by rolling out the pastry, arranging the mixture of fruit, starch and sweetener on top, leaving about 2″ exposed pastry all around, then carefully folding that exposed pastry over the filling, and then baking. Small, single-serving tarts make wonderful treats for packing in a lunch bag; larger, multiple-serving tarts are a great presentation at a picnic or informal buffet party.
The rustic tarts do not require a pie pan for baking, though I find that forming and baking the tart in the pan with its slanted sides is easier than forming it on a flat baking sheet, and helps keep the tart’s juices from spreading out and burning.
After testing, I find that my favorite pastry for rustic tarts tea the rich short crusts (Pasta Frolla (Italian), Pastry Sucrée (French) and Galette Rustic Tart Pastry (French); all of these use egg instead of, or in addition to, water to hold the pastry together. The Crostata Rustic Tart Pastry (Italian) is basically a standard American Pie Crust with sugar added, and just doesn’t work as well as the more authentic European pastries.
Peach and Blueberry (or Huckleberry) Galette
Blueberry & Peach Galette
(photo, left, from Fine Cooking.com (1))
This recipe is adapted from the Fine Cooking.com (1), originally by Tony Rosenfeld.
You could use the Galette Crust recipe as written, or modify a crostata or pastry sucree recipe for this size of tart. And of course, you could try any combination of berries with peaches, nectarines, or plums.
After forming the tart, you sprinkle with a coarse-grained sugar (demarera or turbinado), but if you don’t have this, you can use Rapadura, it just isn’t as coarse-grained.
If you used the galette crust recipe, you will have the white of an egg left over. Use this to brush the crust, rather than a whole egg.
Ingredients & Equipment:
- 1 ½ recipes Galette Rustic Tart or Pastry Sucrée (Rich Short Crust)
- 1 lb peaches
- ¾ lb blueberries
- ¼ cup Rapadura sugar (or scant ¼ tsp stevia extract powder and 1 tsp Rapadura)
- 2 Tbsp unbleached spelt flour or tapioca starch
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- pinch Unrefined sea salt
- 1 egg (or just the white)
- 2 Tbsp demerara, turbinado or Rapadura sugar (garnish)
Equipment
- small and medium bowls
- rimmed baking sheet, about 12″ wide
- parchment paper
Method:
- Preheat oven to 3500 F.
- Peel peaches and cut into 1/2-inch slices (about 2 cups). Rinse and pick through berries, then drain (about 2 cups). Toss fruit in medium bowl with Rapadura (or stevia & sugar), flour, cinnamon and salt.
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out dough on lightly floured work surface, to 12 – 13 inch round. Transfer to baking sheet.
- Arrange fruit in center of dough, leaving about 1.5″ exposed dough around perimeter. Fold outside edge over fruit, pleating as necessary.
- Beat egg (or white) in small bowl, then brush over the crust. Sprinkle demerara (or other) sugar evenly over dough and fruit.
- Bake on rack in center of oven until crust is lightly browned and the filling bubbles, about 50 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on rack before cutting into wedges to serve.
Assembly or Serving Suggestions
- Serve with real whipped cream, lightly sweetened and flavored with vanilla
- Serve with homemade vanilla ice cream
