A hint of lemon, almond and brown sugar bring out the season’s best in this rustic Sweet Cherry Galette. vegan (pictured) or vegetarian
Working with pastry will forever be a work in progress. Although the recipe may be the same each and every time, temperature control, creativity and patience, are factors that always seem to vary when working with it.
Knowing when the dough is too warm, too cold, or sticky or how long you can push for that golden color in the oven to get it dark, but not too dark, takes hands on experience.
This is why I crave working with pastry. The more I work with it, the more familiar it becomes.
Yet it challenges me.
It forces me to be patient, creative and to pay attention to what I’m doing in the moment.
Since cherry season has arrived, I’ve been pitting and freezing them at a feverish pace. But for those that don’t make it to the freezer for now, I’ve been adding them to oatmeal, smoothie bowls, chia pudding, topping waffles and making and freezing plenty of fresh cherry limeade.
I hadn’t made a cherrie pie since last Thanksgiving when my dad requested it. It was the last of my frozen cherries from the previous summer’s stash. I was hesitant to give them up for pie. But he come to Whidbey all the way from Texas, so I made pie.
This summer I’ve been making galettes because I’m feeling lazy lately and they’re beautiful anyway, in their own rustic right.
A galette is considered a rustic pie. It’s much simpler then a traditional pie in that its shape is free form. There’s no cutting, pinching, crimping, par baking and/or latticing. Simply roll out the dough, fill it, chill it, milk-wash the crust, sprinkle with sugar then bake.
Galettes are a perfect way to ease into pastry if it’s something that seems daunting. Or if one is simply feeling a little lazy.
Patience. Practice. Breathe…
For the galette pictured here, I opted for a coconut oil pastry. I find it easier to work with than an butter-buttermilk pastry simply because I don’t have to refrigerate it prior to rolling and it’s luxuriously pliable. Because of this, it comes together quicker and produces a just as flakey and delicious crust as its counterpart. Rob even gives it a thumbs up. Shocking (!!).
If you’re just starting out with pastry, this dough is a good one to ease into.
Because the bake is long, this galette can head to the oven as dinner is getting underway and be ready just in time for dessert.
Most importantly, enjoy this rustic pie warm with your favorite ice cream or give my vegan Bourbon Vanilla Bean Ice Cream a go.
Sweet Cherry Galette
Ingredients
For the Galette:
- 3 1/2 C (500g) Pitted Bing Cherries (about 1lb)
- 1/3 C + 2 Tbs (90g) Packed Light Brown Sugar
- 3 Tbs Organic Corn Starch
- 1 tsp Almond Extract
- 1 Lemon zested
- 2 tsp Lemon Juice
- 1/4 tsp Fine Sea Salt
- 1 Recipe of Single Crust Pastry for Coconut Oil Pie Crust* Or use my butter, buttermilk pie dough - see note
To Finish the Galette:
- Nut Milk of Choice I use homemade cashew
- 1-2 Tbs Turbinado Sugar
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, throughly mix the cherries, brown sugar, corn starch, extract, lemon zest and juice, and salt together so that no white patches of the starch remain. Set aside.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Make room in the refrigerator to chill the galette, on the sheet pan, prior to baking. Generously dust a work surface with flour. Roll out the pie dough to between 14"-15" (35cm-38cm) or about 1/8" (3mm) thick, reflouring the work surface and pin as needed to make sure the dough doesn't stick. Roll the dough over and onto the rolling pin and transfer the dough, unrolling it onto the parchment lined sheet pan. It's okay if the dough hangs over the edges. We'll fold them in soon.
- Spoon the cherries and their juices on to the pastry keeping them in the center as much as possible leaving between a 2"-3" (5cm-7cm) pastry boarder. They should overlap some. Fold the pastry inward working around the cherries, pleating the pastry 7-8 times as you work your way around. Use a pastry brush to throughly brush on the nut milk. Sprinkle galette, pastry and cherries with turbinado sugar. Cover galette with plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
- While the galette is resting, set oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 375F ( 190C). Bake galette for 45-50 minutes rotating once while baking. The pastry should be golden and crisp when ready. Allow to set for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream.
- Store galette at room temperature for up to three days. The galette can be reheated in a 350F oven for about 10 minutes if needed.
Having fun looking at your new and earlier recipes. Think I’ll go bake a galette. It’s September now and blackberries are ripe. Yummm. I can taste it now. Thanks for the recipe & photo guide.
Ooooh I’m curious about how your galette turned out… ! I’ve not yet picked enough blackberries!! Thank you for your note Ina! xo
How I adore galettes, especially in the summer. These cherries… that melting whip on top… that golden crust!! Gorgeous, Traci! I’m getting my spoon…
I’m with you Alison! I’d love to share a slice with you. xo
I can imagine how delicious this must have been Traci! Beautiful recipe!
Thank you, Jess!
Beautiful photography and this galette looks amazing!
Such a pleasure to meet you. Hope we connect again soon. Cheers!
Thank you for your encouragement, Carol. What a fun weekend… I’m so happy to have met you too.
This galette is just stunning, Traci! I’m a bit obsessed with cherries and imagining them baked into that flaky coconut oil crust is making my mouth water. Such a beautiful piece of edible art!
Hehe… thank you Sarah. I’m loving the melty ice cream over this warm galette…. cherry season is way too short.
What a pretty pie (or should I say galette), Traci! Love cherries – they are perfect baked up in some sweet pastry. I’m intrigued by the coconut oil in the pastry – I’ve been using it when I make stir fries. Hope you’re having a great weekend – and the weather isn’t too terrible – saw on the news you’ve been hit with a fierce heatwave.
Oh the coconut oil…. in stir fries.. in just about anything I cook. The flavor comes across as pretty neutral too. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised Geraldine. The heat is done for now (omg it was so hot!) but the smoke from the wild fires in BC is tough to deal with… Hopefully it will clear out soon!
Swooning over these photos, Traci! I haven’t made a galette in ages and now you’ve sold me on using coconut oil in the dough. So, so pretty!
It’s time for a galette Tessa! You’ll love that crust with coconut oil… I can’t wait to see your GF version! xo
Beautiful and delicious!
Thank you love xo
Will you teach me how to make a galette? I need a good GF version! this is bliss!
It would be my pleasure Lindsay… and I know we could turn out a fabulous GF version!
Prettiest galette I’ve seen all summer Traci! And coconut oil pastry…hmmm. I’ll definitely heed your recommendation and give it a go. I love making galettes so much more than pies. So much easier and they turn out just as beautiful in my opinion. My friend’s birthday is next weekend and she wants a peach pie. No ifs, ands or buts! I think I’ll give your coconut oil pastry a try! I’ll let you know how it goes! Wish me luck! Happy weekend.
Thank you Mary Ann. I’m with you on Galettes, but when I’m feeling like being a little fancy with pastry, I give it a go. I do enjoy making pretty lattice and leaves for the top. A peach pie for your friend sounds incredible. The thing about peach pie is it’s always good with a few dollops of butter… :D What a generous friend you are. I hope you and your friend enjoy the recipe Mary Ann!
We must be on the same page, Traci. I do not have a cherry tree that ever gives me more than a handful of fruit but I have tayberries and so made a galette from them a few days ago. I am intrigued by your coconut oil crust and butter nut milk. I look forward to trying something new. As always your presentation is outstanding! Thank you, Heide
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I think so too, Heide! Tayberries are absolutely scrumptious and what a fine way to enjoy them and highlight their juicy flavor. I see tayberries occassionally here on Whidbey. They’re not grown commercially, but sometimes a friend will offer me some of their pick and very occassionally one of the farms has a few pints to offer. They are scrumptious! I would love to hear your thoughts on the coconut oil crust… it surprised me! In a good way! :D
I would be happy to make you a start from my tayberry plant and you could get it from me in the fall. Very easy plant to grow but it does produce long vines that I tie to my fence. It doesn’t run like raspberries. I live 5 mi south of Coupeville. It would be my pleasure-and you’ll be eating them next year!
Oh Heide, what a most generous offer. I’ll decline for now as I haven’t a fence or structure of the tayberry plant to grow on. If this should change in the near future, I’ll be in touch. Thank you so much!
Offer stands anytime-it’s all easy to do. In the meantime, this looks like a fabulous blackberry picking year. We better get to it!
Absolutely gorgeous! Vegan or not it sounds and looks looks delicious!
Thank you Mimi!
I LOVE this gorgeous way to get your fill of cherries this summer. Galettes call my name because they are pretty forgiving! Hope you’re having a wonderful summer!
Forgiving indeed! A lazy girl’s pie… I’ll take it!
I have also been consuming copious amounts of cherries this summer. They seem to be exceptionally sweet this year. I actually broke down and bought the same cherry pitter that you have pictured which makes life much easier! I’m in total agreement with your comments about the challenges of working with pastry dough. The addition of coconut oil intrigues me and if it makes for easier rolling I’m in!
Oh the cherry love, Jean! I’m SO with you! And that cherry pitter? It makes pitting cherries so much easier and faster than what I used to do :/ I was so pleasantly surprised with the coconut oil pastry – I had never made an oil based pastry before two years ago. I hope you’ll give it a go! I’d love to hear your thoughts on it too! :D
So gorgeous! I love galettes and this one is such a beauty! :)
Thank you Laura!