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.
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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!
- Note: To make rolling the refrigerated dough easier, let it come to room temperature first.
[Tweet “Mini strawberry galettes, gorgeous and delicious, makes the perfect easy summer #dessert. #vegan #pie”]
4 Comments
whatever we call them, as long as they are delicious, I want to try 🙂
31 May, 2017 at 12:31 amThat’s practically my motto too! 🙂
5 June, 2017 at 2:00 pmThis looks so delicious Elsa, your culinary creativity never cease to amaze me. Love from the Gambia:)))))
31 May, 2017 at 3:13 amAwww thank you so much and love to you in the Gambia! 🙂
5 June, 2017 at 2:01 pm