strawberry galette
Elliott and I are going on vacation again starting this weekend — this time with the fam, to a sunny southern beach (a.k.a. MY HAPPY PLACE) — and we could not be more excited to go. But before we leave on a jet plane, I wanted to share with you a recipe for something sweet, and for what I am fairly certain is exactly what summer would taste like, if it had one.
I made this strawberry galette last weekend for Lindsay and Bjork, a.k.a. Pinch of Yum, a.k.a, the kindest, most gracious hosts ever, who had us over to their place for a grill-out. They made us dinner, we made them dessert. Needless to say, it was an excellent eating day.
But you see, I have this problem. It goes like this — I am presented with an opportunity to make food for people, people besides me and my husband. And instead of making something I’ve made hundreds, even dozens of times, I decide that no! This is a perfect moment to make something new and exciting! And then I start to make it and suddenly think to myself, as if I’d never had the revelation before, “What if this doesn’t turn out? What if it tastes like crap? What if I kill these people or make them think I suck at making food? I really don’t! I know how to make enchiladas! I should’ve made enchiladas” and then I start to get all sweaty and nervous (which is an even worse situation when we’re the ones hosting) and I decide to proceed anyway, because what’s the worst that could happen? Besides accidentally killing them, I suppose.
Though I have yet to learn my lesson and just make old standbys for friends, so far I’ve done OK with serving foods of uncharted territory. And this galette was no exception. In fact, it turned out better than I expected. The crust, studded with cold butter and vanilla bean seeds, was flaky and mild; the strawberry filling, sweet and tart. And a little dollop of fresh whipped cream on the side didn’t do it any disservice, either.
I don’t know about you, but I love galettes for their rustic beauty and lack of unnecessary fuss. Just roll out the cold crust, top it with a mix of fresh summer produce, fold over the edges, give it a good go in the oven and just like that, you’ve made the ideal summer dessert. With the freshest and most in-season ingredients, you really can’t go wrong. Thanks to this recipe, I have a feeling I’ll finally be breaking my streak of new recipe experiments for guests, at least when it comes to dessert. This one definitely deserves a repeat.
Strawberry Galette with a Vanilla Bean Crust
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living
Yields: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients:
For the dough —
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
1/2 stick chilled unsalted butter
1 1/2 sticks frozen unsalted butter
1/2 cup ice water
For the galette —
1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Fresh whipped cream, for serving (optional)
Snipped fresh basil, for topping (optional)
Directions:
Combine flour, sugar, salt and vanilla bean seeds in the bowl of a food processor. Cut chilled butter into small cubes; add to food processor and pulse until combined, about 10 times. Cut frozen butter into small cubes; add to food processor and pulse just until a coarse meal with a few larger chunks of butter forms.
Add ice water to food processor and pulse just until a dough forms, about 10 times. Turn out dough onto a countertop and form dough into a disk. Place disk between two large pieces of plastic wrap; roll out to a 1/2-inch thick round. Seal in plastic wrap and chill at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days (can also be wrapped in plastic, then foil, and frozen up to a month).
When dough is fully chilled, unwrap and roll out on a floured surface to a 1/4-inch thick round. Cut dough into a 10-inch circle; discard scraps. Transfer dough disk to a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Chill for 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Toss hulled and sliced strawberries with sugar and cornstarch. Immediately place strawberries on chilled dough, slightly overlapping in concentric circles, if desired, leaving a 1-inch border along the edges. Carefully fold up dough around the sides. Chill for 15 minutes.
Brush dough with egg wash, then sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar. Sprinkle chilled butter pieces over berries. Bake until golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 45 minutes. Cool to room temperature on a cooling rack. Serve with fresh whipped cream and top with snipped fresh basil just before serving, if desired.
This galette is gorgeous!! Love the simplicity to this pretty treat 🙂
I do the exact same thing! I suppose it’s a combination of wanting to make new things for the blog and just my own desire to try new things. Have fun on vacay! The beach is my happy place too 🙂
I’m exactly the same! I always pull out the fancy totally new to me desserts when I’m cooking for others and it’s such a stress inducer! This galette turned out perfectly though; I love the scattering of basil on top.
This is absolutely beautiful!! I don’t make nearly enough galettes and they are such a beautiful easy pie alternative. I love anything strawberry and this looks dreamy!
This is stunning. WOW!! So pretty!
Oh the pressure when I cook for others! I am always so nervous that it will not meet the standards but in reality, most of them are just happy they can eat.
galettes are always a hit! and great when you are not in mood for finicky work,
I always attempt something insane when cooking for others. Although a lot of times it doesn’t always come out that great and I’m forced to fry up some chicken..LOL This galette is stunning!
I do the same thing. Instead of making a tried-and-true recipe that I’ve made bunch of times I have to be creative. And then I wonder – why! This galette looks yummy! Happy vacation!
This galette is super gorgeous! Definitely jealous of all of you hanging out.
Katrina — Thank you! Sometimes simple desserts are the best. 🙂
Taylor — It’s totally because of that combination! I just hope I can keep the streak of successes going, or at least not subject anyone else to the fails. 🙂 Thanks!
Kathryn — Ugh, why do we do this to ourselves? At least we end up with yummy food if it turns out well 🙂 Thanks, dear!
gorgeous and delicious!!! want this!!!
Audra — Galettes are totally my way of saying that I can make pie because I’m actually not so good at it (nor do I have that much patience) 😉 Thanks, lovely! (PS — excited to meet you in a couple weeks!)
Tieghan — Thank you, dear!
Belinda — It’s so true: I think half the time they are going to hate the way something looks or tastes, but it seems I’m the only one who’s setting ridiculous standards for my food. Thanks, love!
Erika — Oh girl, if you fry up some chicken when your recipes don’t turn out well, you are always a winner in my book! Also, I’m coming over next time. 🙂
Eileen — Yes! I ask myself that question every time (I never learn :)). Thank you!
Meagan — You should come up here and we can all hang out together! 🙂
Robyn — Thanks so much!
It’s beautiful! Hope you had a great time at dinner 🙂
Looks like a work of art! Must.Try.
The arrangement of the strawberries is gorgeous! This galette is soooo summer in a bite! I am the same way when it comes to entertaining. I blame my husband, he likes the same old boring things so when I get the chance to make something new and exciting for somebody that will like it, I am so in! I usually have to change shirts before guests arrive due to nervous sweatiness! Sorry if that was TMI. hahaha
This galette is nothing short of beautiful!!! I do the same thing all time (I wish I’d learn)…I go out on a limb to make something new when I have people over, or when I’m going to someone’s house for dinner, and halfway through the cooking process I break into a sweaty panic.
Have a wonderful vacation!!
Oh HELLO, gorgeous galette – I want to eat you ALL!
This looks so gorgeous!! I love how gorgeous the colors are and I bet the basil made an amazing addition.
I do the same when I need to make something for a gathering or when guests come over – the stress definitely doesn’t help but it all pays off when your creation turns out as gorgeous as your galette! Looks stunning :)))
Lisa — Thank you so much! 🙂
Nicole — Oh thank you!
Stefanie — Oh my gosh, you and me both on all accounts! My husband is so boring in the dinner department, too, so I feel like I overcompensate when we have other people eating our food. And YES — changing my shirt is totally necessary. 🙂 Thanks, friend!
Kelli — Yep. Yep. Yep. Samesies, all the way. 🙂 Thanks, friend!
Ashley — Thank you, love!
Rachel — Thank you so much!
Kelly — It’s always great when the results turn out well, but I’m waiting for that one day when it just becomes a disaster and I end up having to order pizza or something. 🙂 But you’re right — totally pays off when it’s a success! Thanks!
Prettiest galette ever. Seriously. Have a great weekend! 🙂
Next time you awesome food bloggers decide to have a dinner party, please invite me! How about I provide the table and yall provide the food, eh, eh!? 😀 Haha I was reading on Pinch of Yum what classy eaters y’all are 😉 Your galette is gorgeous and I’ve got to try it! I’ve also been wanting to try that coconut milk whipped cream stuff everyone seems to be crazy about…perhaps that on the side!
Laura — Thank you so much, dear! Happy weekend to you, too 🙂
Anna — Deal. 😉 And YES to that coconut milk whipped cream… that would be a magical combo, for sure.
Wow, so gorgeous, Stephanie! And what a fun dessert for friends, too!
I laughed out loud when I read about you trying a new recipe. I’ve done that my. entire. life. I’ve yet to learn my lesson even after the 1,000 years I’ve been cooking. Plus, I inadvertently taught Stephie to do the same thing. So far, no one has died, so that’s a good thing, although I have the same fears. Love the looks of this. Looks so good!
Cassie — Thank you so much, dear!
Julie — Ah, maybe I got it from my mom, too, then! 🙂 At least none of us has killed anybody yet from our cooking/baking — that counts for something, right? 😉
I do the same thing!! And it’s all because my momma used to do it, too. Guinea pig guests…are there any other kinds? lol
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Stephie — Preeeeeetty sure your mom just commented on my blog (which I LOVE) saying that she did that. Oh you two. 🙂
Awww, it’s awesome you four had the opportunity to hang and have dinner together. I didn’t even make the connection until this post that you all live in Minnesota, and didn’t know you were near each other! Your galette looks fantastic – I bet it got snapped up in seconds!
I do the exact same thing with guests! I know you are supposed to make a recipe you’ve baked dozens of times, but I can’t resist pushing the hubby’s dessert boundaries when he has no choice, lol. This is gorgeous and you are welcome to my place anytime 🙂
Haha Stephanie, I’d be more than willing to place my life in your hands if that means you get to make dessert for me! Everything you make looks so beautiful, and no doubt tastes just as delicious. I especially love this galette; it’s so elegant, and strawberries are my favorite too! Have a wonderful time in your “happy place”! (:
I totally do the same thing…and I have more than once expressed my fear that someone may die eating my food. My husband reminds me he has NEVER died from my cooking, but…I guess I like to feel like a crazy person.
PS, love those basil ribbons!
So happy to have found your blog! What a beautiful, gorgeous galette! I always struggle with leaky galettes, so I will definitely give yours a go. Have a lovely trip!
Julia — Yep, we are practically neighbors! It’s a small world. 🙂 You should come out here to visit and we can all snack on this galette and those peanut butter cookies of yours!
Erin — Ha! I do the same thing with my husband. I feel like I’m cornering him but sometimes it’s the only way to get him to eat something besides pizza rolls and burritos. 🙂 And yes! One of these days we need to have a dinner party!
Monica — Oh thank you, lovely! You are so sweet! 🙂
Cindy — We’re so hardcore, making new foods and living on the edge hoping we don’t kill our guests 😉 Though I’d gladly eat anything that came out of your kitchen, lady!
Maria — Ah, yes, the leaky galette is a bummer! I was afraid of that with this one but it held up insanely well (Martha knows how to make a good crust :)). Thanks so much for stopping by!
Hilarious!! 🙂 This was the most amazing dessert ever. I’m so glad you posted the recipe because now I can make it! Bjork will be beside himself with excitement. See you again soon dear!
Lindsay — Seriously, I was sweating it out a little bit there before we tried it, hoping it wouldn’t taste like cardboard… so I’m glad it turned out well! 😉 Let’s definitely hang out again soonest!
This galette is gorgeous! Love that the crust has vanilla bean in it! Definitely have to try it!
Jessica — Thank you, dear!
I LOVE galettes in the summer! So easy and fuss-free. If there’s one other thing besides strawberries I’m obsessed with in the summer, it’s basil. Awesome that you combined the two in this terrific tart!
I’m just like you – I always want to try out new things when I bake for others, and then I panic – what if it doesn’t turn out well?! And the fear of food poisoning is always in the very back of my mind. Nothing even close to that has ever happened, but you never know!
However, your galette is gorgeous and sounds absolutely delicious, so you definitely didn’t need to fret about this one!
Georgia — Thank you, friend! I love making galettes in the summertime — less time to fuss, more time to enjoy the sunshine. 🙂
Stephanie — I’m so glad I’m not the only one who does this, haha! Though if you made something for me I’m sure it would be just perfect. 🙂 Thanks, dear!
I hope you have SO much fun on your trip!! I am insanely jealous!! And PS – I do the same thing, you want me to make something for extended family? Sure, let me pull out something new and hope it works…. 🙂
Mackenzie — Thank you! I’m pretty excited about the beach 🙂 And I’m glad I’m not the only one who experiments when it’s potentially most risky! 🙂
It’s beautiful! What a perfect choice! haha, glad it came out so well! I have the same problem tho, I always NEED to try something new at the wrong times haha
Angie — Thank you so much! And I’m glad I’m not alone in this problem, haha 😉
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I am sooo excited to make these strawberry galette 🙂
The Strawberry Galette looks so freaking awesome. LOVE this recipe!
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