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I’ve started a new tradition in my family: Brunch on the first Sunday of every month. I know it doesn’t sound like big deal, but for me it is because as my kids get older (not me, just my kids) ; ) I’m starting to see them waaaay less than I want. So with all of our busy schedules, I can count on at least one Sunday a month when we can all spend a little quality time together. For our first brunch I made pastitsio (greek-style lasagna), which I will post soon, roasted brocolli with a sesame, garlic and lemon dressing – and my favorite part – a strawberry galette.
I was so excited about making this because I’ve been meaning to test Alton Brown’s pie crust. Aside from having a mad cooking crush on him, I really love his recipe and the way he overly explains everyhing! Anyway, I love the way it came out – especially for this dessert. My son Justin said he thinks it’s the best crust he’s ever had. So the galette was delicious and fund to make – and the time with my kids was even better.
If you want the science behind what makes a good pie crust and a video demonstration, check out Alton Brown’s video on preparing this crust that includes every single detail you’d ever dream of (and more). Or you can just follow this simple instructions.
Garlic Girl’s Fresh Strawberry Galette
Ingredients
For the crust:
2 cups all purpose flour, chilled
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter – 3/4 chilled, 1/4 at room temperature (butter should be cubed)
3 tablespoons apple juice plus 2 tablespoons water, chilled (and preferably in squirt bottle)
Filling:
1 pound fresh strawberries, cut in pieces
2 tablespoons sugar (adjust to taste)
a little lemon juice
about 25 Nilla Wafers (ground in food processor)
a little butter
a little fresh mint, finely chopped (optional)
Turbinado sugar for dusting the crust before baking
1 beaten egg with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash before baking
Preparation
Add the chopped strawberries and fresh mint to a bowl, mix in the sugar and a couple squeezes of lemon juice and let sit until ready to fill. The mint is not necessary, I just think it adds a nice touch.
For the dough, add the flour, sugar and salt in the food processor and pulse a couple times. Then add the room temperature butter and pulse until it’s completely incorporated. Now retreive the cold butter from the fridge, add to the flour mixture and pulse until you see pea-size chunks of butter.
Add mixture to a medium size bowl, sprinkle with a little apple juice mixture (or water, which is what I used and it was fine) and mix with a spatula. Contine to do this until your mixture holds together when squeezed in your hand and then easily breaks apart. You may not need to use all the liquid.
See image below:
Once you have the consistency above, gather mixture by covering with parchment paper, scooping it all up, and then wrapping in a little package, like below. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. This is an important step as it allows all the ingredients to come together nicely.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Turn dough out onto lightly floured, clean surface. Note: Have some dental floss ready as you will most likely want to use it to slide between the surface and the dough if it gently sticks to the surface. This helps you keep the dough in one piece. Roll out a round crust to 1/4″ thickness. To keep it as even as possible, roll from center in an upward motion, turn the dough a couple inches and repeat until done. Use a pizza cutter to trim the ends. I actually like the edges a little less perfect, and more rustic looking, but everyone has their preferences.
Gently place crust on parchment paper and transfer to baking sheet. Don’t remove parchment paper from bottom of pan. In center of pie crust, add the ground Nilla Wafers, along with a few pieces of butter. Spread, leaving about a 3 inch edge all around. Top with the strawberry mixture, so there are a couple layers of berries. Fold edges toward center, dampening corners with a little water to make sure everything stays in place.
Brush top of crust with egg wash and press Turbinado sugar into crust. This makes the crust look really pretty. Bake for about 30 or more minutes until the center is beginning bubble and the crust is nicely golden brown. Keep a good eye on it since oven temperatures vary. Let cool completely before serving.
Serving Suggestion
This pastry is a wonderful addition to any brunch, but is also great served alone with coffee of tea. It can also be topped with ice cream for a sweeter dessert. So good!
Enjoy!
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