As the summer wanes, you might find yourself buying as much fruit as possible while simultaneously trying to get rid of your surplus fruit. It’s a fruit paradox, and I, too, suffer from it. I’ve found myself relying on classic fruit bakes, and getting creative with some other favorites to use up my less-than-perky berries and stone fruit. It turns out, baking a small batch of mini fruit galettes is the best thing to make when you have an awkward amount of aging berries on your hands.
What is a galette?
Galettes are like pies but without a pie dish. They include the typical elements of a fruit pie—fruit filling and a pie crust—but they’re flat, open-faced, and kind of free-form. The allure of a galette is that it’s less fussy than a pie. The primary reason I make mini galettes in late summer is because, like a pie, large galettes still require a heap of fruit—two to four cups—and mini galettes don’t. You can make a batch of mini galettes with that random half-eaten pint of puckering blueberries or a single peach. And if you keep store bought pie crust in the fridge, well, it’s that much easier.
How to make mini galettes
1. Prepare your pie crust
Thaw and unroll a sheet of store bought crust. Use a large biscuit cutter, a mason jar lid, or just use a paring knife to cut circles out of the dough. Remember, galettes are rustic so if you’re doing it with a knife, it’s alright if the circle is wonky. Make the circles about three to four inches in diameter. My local ShopRite had a box of these Pillsbury mini pie crusts, so I tried them. They’re no revelation, but they perforate seven little hexagons into the dough that you can cut out. You can make three circles or 12 depending on how much fruit you’re trying to get rid of. Put any leftover pie crust back in the fridge or freezer.
2. Egg wash the edges
Place the pastry rounds on a parchment paper lined baking pan. Since galettes don’t have a pie dish holding the crust in position, you have to use egg wash. Egg wash will help to seal the crust and give the galettes a lovely golden color. I mix one egg yolk with a teaspoon-ish of water. Brush this mixture along the outer edge of each crust circle.
3. “Waterproof” the bottoms
Summer berries release quite a bit of juice when they bake. Normally for a fruit pie we would cook the pie filling and thicken it on the stovetop to prevent a watery filling and soggy crust. But since these baby galettes use barely any fruit, that step would be overkill. Instead, give the crust a “waterproof” dusting of cornstarch and sugar. This protective starch layer will absorb the released fruit juices and gelatinize in the heat of the oven to create a sweet, thick syrup. I admit, the measurement is a bit of a gamble because you never know how juicy a particular fruit will be, but usually a thin layer of this mixture is enough to keep the crust from sogging-out. Mix two teaspoons of cornstarch with three teaspoons of sugar. Spread about a half-teaspoon in the center of each pastry round.
4. Fill the galettes
Now you can simply place the berries or cut fruit chunks onto the crust. I’d say about a tablespoon or so in the center is a good place to start. If I’m only using berries, I’ll toss them with a squeeze of lemon juice in a bowl before adding them to the pie crust.
Leave an outer half-inch of pastry available and begin pleating the pastry edge by folding and pinching. The egg wash will act like glue to keep the pleats crimped. Pleat the crust all the way around and repeat this with the other galettes.
5. Bake
Egg wash the outside of the pastry dough, and sprinkle it lightly with sugar. Bake the galettes in a 400°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the fruit juices are bubbling and the pastry is well-browned.
Currently, all of my aging summer fruit is undergoing the mini galette stage of life. They make for great breakfasts with a cup of coffee, charming mid-morning snacks, and perfectly petite desserts with a scoop of ice cream. I find no fault with these personal summer fruit pies. I particularly enjoy walking around my apartment while snacking on one of these and pondering how hot it is outside. Best to play it safe, stay inside, and eat more mini galettes.
Mini Summer Galette Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 roll of thawed store bought pie crust
- 1 cup of berries or chopped stone fruit
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- Egg wash for the crust
- Sugar for sprinkling
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut about seven three-inch circles out of the pastry crust. Place the circles onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and brush the egg wash around the edges.
2. Toss the berries or stone fruit chunks with the lemon juice in a small bowl. In a separate bowl mix the cornstarch and sugar together.
3. Sprinkle about a half teaspoon of the sugar mixture into the center of each pastry round. Add a spoonful of the fruit on top of that.
4. Pleat the edges of the pie dough all the way around to create a secure “wall.” Pinch the pleats. Egg wash the outside of the “wall” and sprinkle it with a little sugar.
5. Bake the galettes for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the juices are bubbling and the pastry is well-browned. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before snacking.
