Pastry Heaven

Indulge your rustic summer craving with these free-form, French cake-pies. Whether you opt for savory or sweet fillings, you can’t go wrong with these no-hassle stunners. The flaky, crispy crust over the tender filling is sure to become an unexpected showstopper. 

Photography by Kelly Moore Clark / Styling by Taylor Bennett

RIPE TOMATO GALETTE \\

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup cold water
8 oz ricotta cheese crumbled
2 oz cream cheese softened
1/2 cup romano, cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon scallion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Zest of 1 large lemon 
1-2 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
Salt

DIRECTIONS:

To make the pie dough, whisk together the flour and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.Cut the butter into 1/2 into the flour mixture with fingers or a pastry blender. Sprinkle in cold water and work the dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap. Chill the dough.Preheat the oven to 400° F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, mix together ricotta and cream cheese until well combined. Add the Romano cheese, garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, scallion, parsley, basil and lemon zest. Cut tomatoes and season with salt. Set them on a baking sheet lined with paper towels and allow them to sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. Top with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Roll out the dough into a rough 12-inch circle. Fold dough in half, transfer to the prepared sheet pan, and unfold. Spread the cheese mixture evenly in the center leaving space on the edge for folding. Layer the tomatoes on top. Fold the edges of the galette (crust) to contain the filling, leaving the center uncovered. 

Mix together one egg yolk and a splash of water and brush over the exposed crust. Bake in oven for 35-40 minutes until crust is deeply golden and tomatoes are tender.

BLACKBERRY GALETTE \\

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

1 9-inch refrigerated pie crust
Sprig of mint (to garnish)

Filling:
2 full cups blackberries
3 Tablespoons coarse sugar
Zest from ½ small lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 Tablespoons flour

Dough topping:
1 egg
1 teaspoon coarse sugar
Almonds (if desired)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl combine 2 cups of  blackberries with sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice from 1/2 small lemon, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of flour. Add additional flour if the mixture is very wet.

Gently unfold and lay out pie crust on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper until room temperature.

Pour the blackberry mixture in the center of the unfolded pie crust leaving a 2-inch border. Fold up the uncovered border over the edge of the fruit and pinch into pleats. Whisk egg and, using a pastry brush, brush the egg onto the crust and sprinkle with sugar. (If you’d like, add almonds and on top as well).

Bake until juices are bubbling and the crust is golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven, let sit for 5-10 minutes. Serve with a scoop of ice cream or a pinch of fresh herbs.

Recipe from platingsandpairings.com

FRESH PEACH GALETTE \\

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Crust:
1 1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, cut into small (1/2-inch) cubes, Chilled in freezer for 30 minutes
4 to 6 Tbsp ice water

Filling:
2 large, firm peaches pitted, sliced  into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch slices
3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon butter
1 egg
A sprinkling of coarse sugar (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

In a food processor, mix flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cubed butter, and pulse  until the butter is the size of peas in the mixture. Slowly add the ice water until the dough just begins to clump.

Remove from processor and knead into a disk. Sprinkle flour on all sides, wrap with plastic, and place into the refrigerator to chill for an hour. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the peach slices in a bowl and toss with flour and sugar (you can add a little brown sugar if desired). Sprinkle vanilla extract over the peaches.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg until smooth and set aside. On a lightly floured, clean, smooth surface, roll out the dough to about a 12-inch diameter. Gently lift up the rolled out dough and place it on a rimmed baking sheet. 

Arrange the peach slices in an overlapping pattern in a single layer in the center of the dough, forming about a 7 or 8-inch circle. Top with a pat of butter. Fold the outer edges of the dough round over the filling, by about 2-inches all the way around, in an accordion fashion. 

Use a pastry brush to coat the exposed dough with an egg wash, and sprinkle with coarse sugar if using.

Place in the oven and bake at 425°F about 15-20 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet, over a rack, about 15 minutes.

Recipe adapted from simplyrecipes.com