Tarts

Galette Gusto!

galette
Standard

I have been really into desserts lately, especially with all the delicious fruits coming into season! Nectarines only come around once a year for a few months so I jumped at the chance to create a simple, rustic, yet impressive dessert for my clients.

Fussy tarts and pies can be such a pain to form and of course as a chef I always want to create that perfect aesthetic, however I discovered that when time is of the essence, something comparable like a galette can impress just as much but with less of a hassle.

A galette is essentially a free form rustic, generally crusty pastry that can be topped with various sweet or savory toppings. I chose to pair fresh nectarines tossed with vanilla bean and citrus to accompany the delicate yet crisp crust made with cornmeal. The result was delicious and it couldn’t be easier….here’s what I did….

For the Crust:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick cold butter, cubed
2 tbsp. buttermilk
1 egg (for egg wash..this creates that golden brown color)

In a food processor combine all the ingredients, except the egg. Pulse until the butter is small and pea sized, but not too small! (if the butter is fully incorporated it will not achieve the same flaky crispy texture you want)

Pull the dough out of the processor and knead by hand JUST until a ball is formed. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

For the Filling:

6-8 ripe nectarines, sliced
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup white sugar
1 lemon, juiced & zest
2 tbsp. all purpose flour

In a large bowl toss all ingredients until combined and the nectarine slices are evenly coated.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out until the dough is about 1/4 inch thick. You may need a bit more flour to prevent sticking for this step…use your noggins people! Transfer the dough to a parchment paper lined sheet tray.

Arrange the nectarines in the center of the dough leaving about a two inch border of crust. This will allow us enough room to fold up the edges and prevent any of that yumminess from creeping out. Fold up the edges of the dough and brush only the crust with your left over egg.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. It may take a few minutes longer depending on your oven, but ultimately all you need is for the nectarines to be partially cooked and the dough to be crisp. Check this but CAREFULLY lifting the galette and checking for browning underneath.

galette2

I topped mine with a fresh raspberry whipped cream…It’s super easy….1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 3 tbsp. powdered sugar and 1/4 cup fresh raspberry puree. Sub out the raspberries for any other berry that you have :-)

Spring Fruit Crostata

photo 1-4
Standard

Ever crave a pie but reallllly don’t want to go through the trouble of trying to create that perfect pie crust with an uncooperative pie pan? Yeah me too.

A crostata is basically a free form rustic pie. These can be made individual like I have done, or family sized! :-) Either way they are going to be delicious and easier than you may think. I used fresh apricots and cherries for my simple filling, but try these during any season. (Think apples in fall, cranberries in winter & berries in summer)

Tip: Try getting your kids involved in forming the crostata, this way each one can be unique and personalized!

The most important part of the crotata is the crust….heres my take on it:

Dough:

1 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup cornmeal flour
1/4 cup white sugar
Pinch of salt
6 tbsp. cold butter, cubed
1/2 cup cold buttermilk (or ice water if buttermilk isn’t readily available)
Extra flour for rolling out

Filling:

4 fresh apricots, sliced
1 cup cherries, pitted
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 lemon, zested

 

1.) In a food processor pulse cornmeal, flour, sugar & salt. Add in the cold butter all at once and pulse until the butter is around pea  sized. (This helps the butter spread evenly throughout the dough and helps promotes flakiness) Slowly stream in the buttermilk just until the dough starts to form. Turn the dough out onto a cutting board and knead to combine…..Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. (the colder the better)

2.) In a medium sauté pan on medium heat, saute the apricots and cherries in the butter until they just start to soften. Don’t turn these to mush! Once the fruit has softened just slightly, add in the remaining ingredients. Continue cooking until the sugar has melted and coats the fruit. Let cool.

3.) Separate the pie dough into fourths or even eights depending on how big you want your crostata to be. Using the extra flour, roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch and place on a parchment lined sheet tray.

photo 1-5

4.) Take about 2 tbsp. of filling and put into the center of the dough. Fold up the edges of the dough creating an even crust around the crostata. Bake these suckers at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

photo 2-5

I plated mine a bit fancier with lemon curd, caramel and a sour cream sauce. These crostatas are perfectly good alone or with some fresh home made whipped cream!

Tartlet Trouble? Peaches & Cream Goodness

Standard

Sick of bringing the same desserts to a dinner party or family function? Me too. I have the most simple solution: Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough. This stuff is great and so versatile. The recipe to follow can be molded to your liking, the possibilities are endless. (sounds cheesy, but it is true!)

Mini Peaches & Cream Tartlets
1 package sugar cookie dough (you know, the kind in the tube!)
4 ripe peaches small diced (I say ripe because if they are not they are hard and not sweet whatsoever)
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 oz. “Greek” Cream Cheese and Greek Yogurt, softened
3 tbsp. powdered sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar (I am obsessed with this stuff)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
dash salt

Here we go…

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a mini muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Put about 1 tablespoon of cookie dough in each mini muffin tin and bake until golden brown about 12-15 minutes. Immediately take the cookies out and press down in the center of the cookie to form a little cup. (I used the back of a wooden spoon, lets not use our hands and burn ourselves!)

cookie

Set the cups aside to cool.

In a medium sauté pan cook diced peaches, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt until peaches are tender and the sugar is cooked down to a syrupy consistency.

peaches

I then pureed my peaches so until the mixture resembled a chutney consistency. You will want to go ahead and chill this mixture for at least a half hour. Feel free to not puree them at all and use the diced peaches in the tartlets instead!

Now take the cream cheese, heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat with an electric mixture until light and fluffy. You may want to add more sugar to your topping but I like the tangy contrast to the sweet peach filling. Fill the cooled cups and top with the cream cheese mixture.
cups
See! They are so cute!