Red Fruit Galettes

I know it's coming to a close, but here's a hot tip for summer: keep a batch of pie crust in your fridge or freezer at all times. Then, when you spot some pretty fruit at the farmer's market, you'll always have something to tuck it into at the ready.

Just about the easiest thing you can make with fruit and pie crust is a galette. Galettes are casual open faced tarts and their charm is in their imperfections. It's okay if the fruit leaks all over the baking sheet and there is no futzy crust crimping for the folks who find that part of pie making frustrating. I even know someone who likes to make them at 3AM after a night of drinking, so you know they are easy.

These particular galettes were born when I had lots of little bits of different fruits left over from another project and I used roughly equal amounts of sour cherries, red currants and raspberries. This particular combination of red fruits turned out visually stunning and totally delicious, but don't feel limited by these fruits! You can make a galette with just about any fruit you have hanging around.

This is more of a formula and a process than a recipe that needs to be followed to the letter so feel free to swap the crust or the fruit or the jam for anything you like. And it's the best kind of recipe to have in your back pocket for all those times when you just need dessert last minute. Get invited to dinner? Galette. Going to a picnic or barbecue or rooftop party? Galette. Celebrating a birthday? Galette. Tuesday? Galette.

Happy Summer!

Red Fruits Galettes
yield 2, 9-inch galettes

Feel free to swap out my pie crust for your favorite recipe, but please make sure to bake the galettes until they are deeply golden brown and caramelized. Say no to soggy crust!

Crust

12 ounces all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
9 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
4 ounces ice cold water
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to cut in half of the butter until it is the size of peas, then cut in the other half until it is the size lima beans. Some of the butter will be completely worked into the flour, but you should have lots of visible pieces of butter in the dough too. Add the apple cider vinegar to the water and make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Use a gentle hand or wooden spoon to mix the water into the flour until just combined. If the dough seems very dry, add more water a couple of teaspoons at a time. You have added enough water when you can pick up a handful of the dough and squeeze it together without it falling apart. Press the dough together, then split it in half, form into discs and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least one hour before using, or overnight.

Filling

about 2 pounds of assorted red fruits (raspberries, cherries, sour cherries, sweet cherries, currants, etc)
1 3/4-2 3/4 ounces granulated sugar depending on the sweetness of the fruit (for example: currants will need more, sweet cherries less)
4 ounces apricot, raspberry or strawberry jam
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
pinch salt
1 tablespoon flour (only if the fruit seems very juicy)

1 egg beaten with a pinch of salt for egg wash
1 3/4 ounce crunchy sugar like demerara or turbinado for sprinkling

Work with one piece of dough at a time and on a floured surface, roll the dough into a roughly 13'' circle, 1/4-1/8'' thick. Transfer the rounds to two large, parchmentlined sheet pans. Store in the fridge while you prepare the filling.

Pit the cherries and remove the currants from their stems. In a large bowl, rub the lemon zest and salt into the sugar. If you're using flour, now's the time to add it. Add the fruit to the sugar mixture and toss gently to combine. 

Remove the pastry from the fridge and spread each round with about 4 tablespoons of jam, then divide the fruit evenly between the disks, leaving a 1 1/2'' border around the edges. Fold the edges of the pastry over the filling and gently brush the egg wash between the folds to seal. Chill the formed tarts until the dough is very firm.

While the tarts are chilling, preheat your oven to 400º. When the tarts are nice and cold, remove them from the fridge, gently brush the pastry with egg wash and sprinkle the pastry and the fruit with coarse sugar. Bake until the fruit juices bubble and ooze and the pastry is a deep golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Let cool before serving.
 

Mascarpone Cream Tart with Fresh Fruit

For all of its shortcomings (unbearable heat and humidity), summer is my very favorite time to be a baker. I am so inspired by the amazing variety of fruit available during the summer months, so when I was tasked with making some desserts for a photo shoot a few weeks ago, I knew that fresh fruit tarts would be just the thing. I used my favorite sweet tart shell from Dorie Greenspan filled with a luxurious mascarpone cream that I developed a few months ago when a friend tasked me to make her wedding desserts, then I topped it with heaps of the most beautiful berries I could find. I love recipes like this cream because they are a great, neutral base to showcase whatever fruit is in season. Now that we are later into the summer, I think some sliced stone fruit tossed in lemon juice or assorted cherries would be lovely. As always, use whatever is in season and beautiful at your local market.

Mascarpone Cream Tart with Fresh Fruit

Sweet Tart Dough
adapted from Dorie Greenspan
for 1, 9'' or 10'' tart

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons cold, cubed butter
1 egg yolk
2 Tablespoons water

1. In the bowl of a food processor or with a pastry blender, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the yolk and pulse then stream in the water and mix until the dough starts clump together.
2. Lightly butter your tart pan or pans and gently press the crumbly dough into the pan. Make sure to evenly coat the bottom and the sides while being careful to not compact the dough too much. Alternately, you can pat the dough into a circle, wrap it in plastic, and chill it for 2 hours. After 2 hours, roll the dough in between two lightly floured pieces of parchment paper into a 12'' circle and gently lay it into the pan, making sure to press the dough gently into the sides and bottom of the pan.  You may have a bit of extra dough, save it just in case you have to repair any cracks later on. Use a fork to poke holes in the bottom and sides of the dough. Freeze the tart shell(s) for 30min.

3. Preheat your oven to 375º and bake the tart shell(s) on a baking sheet (no need for pie weights) until it is lightly golden 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil repair any cracks that may have formed with your leftover dough, bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool the shell on a rack while you prepare the rest of the tart.

Mascarpone Cream
This cream is a heavenly combination of whipped pastry cream, whipped cream, and mascarpone cheese. I use the pastry cream recipe exactly as written on BraveTart.com so I have linked to it below instead of reposting the entire thing here.
yield, one 10'' tart

2 cups vanilla pastry cream, I used Stella aka Brave Tart's Pastry Cream
8 ounces heavy cream
8 ounces mascarpone cream

1. Prepare the pastry cream and chill thoroughly.
2. Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the chilled pastry cream until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the mascarpone and whip until well combined. Fold in the whipped cream and chill the mixture until ready to use.

To Assemble
For the tarts above I used blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, currants, figs and gooseberries, but use whatever is fresh and beautiful in your market.

3-4 cups assorted fresh fruit
Prepared Tart Shell (recipe above)
Mascarpone Cream (recipe above)

Gently spread the mascarpone cream into the tart shell (you may have a bit extra) and top with fresh fruit. Serve immediately. This tart is best on the day that it is made, but it will last a day or two in the fridge if you don't mind a soggy crust.

Raspberry Coconut Fool and a Few More from the Farm

I hope you don't mind if I share a few more snaps from my raspberry picking day. I guess I really am a city kid now because that day in the fields thrilled me to the core. I can't help it, I am a fruit nerd and it has been an unusually fruitful summer so far in Apt. 2B (I also love puns, sue me). Don't worry I'll reward your patience with a super simple summertime recipe for a vegan and gluten-free fool (pictured above) and how I used the rest of my raspberries at the end of this post, sound good?






I picked about five pounds of raspberries two days before I packed up and headed out of town for over a week, so I had to make use of the berries right quick. Here's my raspberry scorecard (á la Autumn Makes and Does).

- Most of the five pounds of berries went in to this killer Raspberry Currant Jam that I am looking forward to eating all year long.
- Then I took a few pints and canned some Raspberry Syrup using Marisa's recipe for strawberry syrup from the Food in Jars Cookbook subbing raspberries for strawberries, naturally.
- There were a few handfuls eaten out of hand (ahem, every time someone opened up the fridge and spotted the berries) or tossed into smoothies.
- I made a quick tart with a scrap of puff pastry topped with a few spoonfuls of raspberry currant jam and a generous handful of raspberries and currants sprinkled with coarse sugar. Easy and so good.
- And last, but certainly not least came this fool which is just about the easiest dessert I've ever made. The only drawback is that it does require some advance prep, but just a little. All you have to do is remember to chuck two cans of full fat coconut milk in the fridge the night before you want to make these delicious, creamy (and vegan!) desserts. Easy, easy, easy.


Oh, and one last thing before we get to the recipe. A few months ago the fine folks at Houzz.com asked me to share how I make the most out of my city kitchen. So, I sent off some photos and this week Apt. 2B is featured as the kitchen of the week! I have to warn you, it is small and artificially lit, but it is mighty! 

Check out the feature here.

Raspberry Coconut Fool (Vegan)
serves 6-8
This dessert is best prepared and served immediately. If it sits too long the raspberries and coconut cream will begin to separate.

3 cups raspberries (about 2 pints) plus a few more to garnish
1 3/4 ounces sugar plus 1 tablespoon
2, 14oz cans full fat coconut milk (chilled overnight!)
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
1/2 teaspoon rose water (optional)
toasted coconut flakes to serve (optional)

1. Gently mash two cups of the raspberries and 1 3/4 ounces sugar in a medium bowl, set aside while you whip the cream.
2. Remove the top layer of cream from the cans of coconut milk, being very careful not to get any of the liquid below. Place the cold cream in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl and whip on medium high until the cream thickens and stiffens to a whipped cream consistency, about medium peaks. Whip in the remaining tablespoon of sugar, vanilla or almond extract and rose water (if using).
3. Fold the raspberry mixture into the whipped coconut cream.
4. To serve, layer the coconut raspberry mixture with the fresh raspberries in clear glass dishes. Top with toasted chopped coconut if desired and a few berries. Serve immediately.

Summer's End Jam

As summer draws to close I am left thinking about all of the things that I haven't yet checked off of my summer to-do list. There was not nearly enough barbecuing on friend's rooftops, I haven't made it to Governor's Island or watched an outdoor movie and I still have that bag of tart cherries in the freezer, just waiting to be made into pie. Usually, this would send me into a bit of a panic, but instead of feeling like I am fighting the clock, I am just going to enjoy these last few weeks of summer. My best pal from Seattle is in town and we are going to take advantage of these last warm days and nights together walking around and eating ice cream and I am going to do my best to preserve all of my favorite summer flavors before the pumpkins roll in.

Summer's End Jam
yield, 4-6 half pints of finished jam
2 1/2 lbs (40oz) mixed berries (I used 24oz blueberries, 8oz blackberries, and 8oz raspberries)
1 1/4 lbs (20oz) sugar
juice of 2 large lemons
4-6 sterilized half pint canning jars and lids

1. In a large bowl, use a potato masher to mash the berries to a pulp, leaving a few larger pieces for texture. Add the pulp to a canning pot, along with the sugar.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. As the jam comes to a boil, skim the foam that rises to the top of the pot and discard.
3. Boil the jam over medium high heat, stirring often and being careful not to let the bottom scorch until set, 25-30min, remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. I generally use the wrinkle test to check for doneness with this type of jam, but if you like numbers you can cook it to 220ºF.
4. Pour the jam into sterilized jars, then process in a boiling water bath for 10min.

Individual Rhubarb Raspberry Galettes

These days I can't seem to walk by a pile of rhubarb at the market without tossing some rosy stalks into my basket. Maybe it's because I have a faint memory of an out of control rhubarb plant in the side yard of my childhood home, maybe because it has a short growing season, or maybe it's because I think it is just so damn tasty. These rustic little galettes were a perfect way to use up some of my stash and the addition of tart raspberries really makes the rhubarb shine. The original recipe calls for a traditional pate brise, but since I knew I was going to have to roll out eight, individual galettes I went ahead and used my favorite cream cheese dough because it's a bit more forgiving and easier to work with. I also added a bit of lemon zest and ginger because the flavors worked together so well in the rhubarb curd from a few weeks ago. Next I think I'll whip up some rhubarb syrup to make rhubarb sangria or champagne cocktails for my birthday this weekend!

Cream Cheese Pie Dough
adapted from Martha Stewart's Pies and Tarts 
makes 8 galettes

2T cold water
2t cold cider vinegar
3c flour
2t sugar
pinch salt
1c cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
8oz cold cream cheese, cut into cubes

1. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar and salt.
2. Add the butter and cream cheese, then pulse until there are lima bean sized lumps of cream cheese and butter.
3. Mix the water and vinegar together, then add to the butter flour mixture in a slow, steady stream while pulsing. Pulse until the mixture just begins to hold together. If your dough seems really dry, add a teaspoon or two more water.
4. Turn the mixture out onto a piece of plastic wrap, then use the wrap to gather the dough into a ball. Seal it up and press firmly into a disk. Refrigerate for at least an hour before rolling.

Rhubarb Raspberry Filling

1 1/2lbs rhubarb, cut into 1/4'' pieces
8oz raspberries
1/4c cornstarch
2c granulated sugar
zest of one lemon (optional)
1/2t grated fresh ginger (optional)
demerara or turbinado sugar for sprinkling

To assemble

1. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. On a floured surface, roll each dough ball into a 7'' round, 1/8'' thick. Transfer the rounds to two large, lined sheet pans, a few inches apart. Store in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
2. In a large bowl combine the rhubarb, raspberries, cornstarch, granulated sugar, lemon and ginger. Prepare an egg wash by beating an egg in a bowl with a tablespoon of water.
3. Remove the pastry from the fridge and divide the dough evenly between the 8 disks, leaving a 1'' border around the edges. Fold the edges of the rhubarb filling and gently brush the wash between the folds to seal. Chill the formed tarts until they are firm, 30-40min.
4. While the tarts are chilling, preheat your oven to 400. When the tarts are nice and cold, remove them from the fridge, gently brush the pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
5. Bake until the crusts are golden, about 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 and bake until the juices bubble and ooze and the pastry is a deep golden brown. Let cool completely before serving.

Whole Wheat Raspberry Walnut Muffins

Just in time for the weekend, I would like to present you this incredibly versatile and forgiving muffin recipe. The only catch is, you need a kitchen scale. I'm sure you lovers of baked good out there have and use your scales all of the time, but if you don't have one it is totally worth the dollar bills. I have a Salter model that cost about $30 at Macy's and it has survived in my kitchen for years despite many spills and drops and other various kitchen disasters that stem from having about 18 square inches of counter space. Don't even get me started on my barbie sized oven. Someday I will post some photos of my tiny New York kitchen so you can all feel bad for me. I kid, I kid, let's get back to the muffins. These wholesome treats can be adapted to use any flours, fat or milk you have on hand. I went with equal parts of whole wheat and all purpose flours, olive oil, almond milk and tossed in some frozen raspberries for color, walnuts for richness and crunch and a bit of orange zest for some citrusy zip. As long as you substitute the ingredients in equal weight you can go crazy, I am going to try a blueberry buckwheat version next.

Whole Wheat Raspberry Walnut Muffins
adapted from Gluten Free Girl, who adapted from Shuna Fish Lydon

350 grams flour (I used 175 grams whole wheat and 175 grams all purpose)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
180 grams brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs
300 grams milk
100 grams olive oil
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup chopped walnuts
zest of 1/2 an orange

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a muffin tin thoroughly or if you prefer, line with muffin cups.

1. In a large bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

2. Whisk together the sugar, zest eggs, milk, and olive oil until they are combined well. Add them to the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients until the batter is almost fully combined. Add the frozen berries and walnuts, careful to not break up the berries too much.

3. Fill the muffin tins 3/4 full and bake until the muffins are browned with a bit of a crunch and a knife goes through cleanly, about 25 minutes to 35 minutes.

If you try these please share your variations in the comments, I'd love to hear your creative ideas.

Happy Friday!