Rustic Brown Sugar & Blackberry Galette
A galette is a really simple yet beautiful way to use up your berry harvest this summer. Raspberries and blueberries work equally well, and the addition of a little cheesecake puts this recipe over the top. There won’t be any leftovers after you pull this gorgeous tart out of the oven!
Ingredients:
2 cups of fresh blackberries from your garden
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice (plus a little zest from the lemon)
1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water
4 ounces of cream cheese
1 egg, beaten and divided in half
2 tablespoons brown sugar plus a little extra for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 sheet of puff pastry
how to make your galette
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees (I use the convection setting) and set one sheet of frozen puff pastry on the counter to thaw.
Place 2 cups of blackberries, lemon juice, zest and sugar in a saucepan on the stovetop and stir. Turn the heat to medium high until the mixture begins to get hot and the berries begin to release their juice. Reduce heat to simmer for about 10 minutes.
Using a fork or the back of your spoon, mash some of the blackberries so that you have a mix of whole and broken berries.
Mix the cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl and pour slowly into the blackberry mixture while stirring to combine. Continue to stir the mix and allow it to thicken until it is gooey and syrup-like. Set aside and allow it to cool.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg and then pour half of the egg mixture into another small container for brushing on the pastry later.
Add the cream cheese, vanilla and the 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Mix well and finish with a whisk so all ingredients are combined and the mixture os smooth.
Unwrap the defrosted puff pastry and using a rolling pin, roll the pastry sheet so that it is a little larger and thinner. This is supposed to be rustic! Nothing needs to be exact.
Place the pastry dough on a cookie sheet covered with parchment or a pastry mat. Pour the cooled blackberry mix in the middle of the sheet of pastry dough. Then pour the cream cheese mix on top.
Gently fold the sides of the pastry up and over the outer rim of the filling leaving the center open. You dont need any fancy folds - just press it up to keep the filling in the middle.
Using a pastry brush, coat to the pastry with the remaining egg mix and sprinkle with brown sugar.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. (If you are not using a convection setting, you may need to cook it longer.)
The galette should be puffy, golden brown and rustically beautiful. It can be served warm or at room temperature. And a little vanilla ice cream never hurt anyone : )
