July 31, 2015

Blueberry-Pistachio Galette

What do you do when you have heaps of blueberries and you don’t know what to do with them before they go old, wrinkly and mushy?  You toss them all into a glorious, summery galette, which is just a fancy French word to describe a free-form crusty cake.





This Blueberry-Pistachio Galette is rustic, unpretentious and slightly sloppy, so don’t worry if the dough breaks while baking and the filling oozes out a bit.  Sometimes I feel that the messier this galette looks the more beautiful it is, not to mention mighty tasty.  You basically have sweet, juicy blueberries encased into a rich, crisp crust.  I only used sugar for the finishing touch before popping the galette in the oven, but if you want to take it a step further, gently press a few sliced almonds into the crust and then sprinkle with sugar for that extra bite and crunch.  





This is by far one of the easiest desserts you’ll ever make and it’s a great stepping stone for novice bakers.  Serve it on its own or with a generous dollop of vanilla ice cream right on top to gently melt into the hot, bubbly blueberries.  So, don’t waste any more time and grab some blueberries, blackberries or even strawberries and start baking.   





Last weekend, Adrian and I had the pleasure to attend a fabulous wedding in our beloved Boston.  And I’d like to dedicate this galette to my best friend Rachel, the gorgeous bride, who loves blueberries, cooking, wine, the pink color, opera, and her husband Andi above all.  I feel so happy and privileged to have been a part of their special day!  It was a truly amazing, sophisticated and unforgettable wedding topped with an elegant layer cake of silky, lemony goodness dotted with bright blueberries, and a smooth, stripy tiramisu deliciousness.  Damn, that cake was good and the wedding was even better!  Casă de piatră!





Blueberry-Pistachio Galette
Adapted from Bon Appétit (July 2015)

Makes: 10 servings

Ingredients for the Dough:

·         ½ cup pistachios, toasted (pecans or almonds also work well)
·         1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
·         1 Tablespoon sugar
·         ½ teaspoon kosher salt
·         ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
·         ½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces





Ingredients for the Filling and Assembly:

·         12 oz. blueberries (about 2 cups)
·         1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
·         1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
·         ¼ cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
·         All-purpose flour (for the surface)
·         2 Tablespoons milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream





Instructions for the Dough:

If you can’t find the already roasted pistachios, preheat the oven to 350° F.  Toast the pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until fragrant and slightly darkened, about 10-15 minutes; let cool.  





Pulse the pistachios in a food processor until the consistency of coarse meal.  Add the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon and pulse just to combine.  Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with a few pea-size pieces remaining.





Transfer to a large bowl; drizzle with 4 Tablespoons of ice water and mix, adding another Tablespoon of water if needed, just until the mixture comes together.  Gently pat the dough into a 6” – diameter disk.  Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour. 

Do ahead:  the dough can be made 2 days ahead.  Keep chilled, or freeze up to 1 month.




Instructions for the Filling and Assembly:

Preheat the oven to 375° F.  Toss the blueberries, flour, lemon juice, and ¼ cup of sugar in a large bowl. 

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12” round.  Carefully transfer the dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Mound the blueberries in the center of the dough, leaving a 2” border.  Fold the edges over, overlapping slightly.  Brush the dough with milk and sprinkle with sugar.  




Bake the galette until the crust is dark golden-brown and the filling is bubbling, about 45-50 minutes.  Let the galette cool before serving.

Do ahead: the galette can be baked 1 day ahead.  Store the galette tightly wrapped at room temperature.





Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

13 comments:

  1. I love the way a galette looks! Its unstructured looks is so appealing. And this flavor combo? Wow! Love what you've done here. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for the wonderful comment, John! I love the unstructured look of this galette too, not to mention the flavor :)

      Delete
  2. The pictures look awesome and we can’t wait to try this recipe :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Joshua! I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. Let me know how it turns out :)

      Delete
  3. This looks delish!!! I’m making this blueberry pie tomorrow! Yum :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. You are spot on with this recipe as usual! It’s surprisingly easy to make and my kids devoured it :) Laura

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for the lovely words, Laura! Yay!! I'm so happy you and your family love this recipe! I like how easy it is to make and super tasty too :)

      Delete
  5. What a perfect way to showcase sweet blueberries! I made a peach/raspberry galette today, but it looks like I'll need to add blueberry to my baking list :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Liz! I love how the peach/raspberry combo sounds! I think they go really well in a galette. I definitely have to give it a try :)

      Delete
  6. Hi Dana,

    Your very blueberry galette looks yummy! The messier it is... the more yummy it looks :p

    Zoe

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Zoe! I totally agree – the messier this galette is, the more delicious it is :)

      Delete
  7. I do love weddings and your friend's wedding sounds very special. I love the look of your galette and I'm pleased to hear you say it's easy to make. It certainly looks incredible with the season's wonderful blueberries xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Charlie and thanks so much! My friend's wedding was indeed wonderful and very special! This is an incredibly easy galette to make and blueberries work so well :) xx

      Delete