After slug-day this week, I decided I needed to be more forgiving with myself, and go with the flow.  I also had a burning desire to bake something.  It is funny how my mood can affect how and what I think about food.

Disclaimer:  This is NOT about health food! 

Summer berries are everywhere.  We have some growing along the edges of the woods, and I have been picking them as they ripen and freezing for a tasty treat.  Well, those that make it past my taste-tests!  Until I have enough, the prices at the grocery store are great and I ended up with several pints of beautiful ripe red raspberries and fat, juicy blackberries.

Summertime is not my usual baking season.  I am not a fan of running the oven on a hot day.  Thankfully, we have air conditioning!

Given my go-with-the-flow mentality, I decided to try my hand at baking a galette.  Galette is a French term.  It refers to a round cake or pastry, which is made free form, rather than in a pan.  Perfect for my mood and desire to be forgiving.

I scoured the Internet for a recipe I thought sounded just right.  I am a big fan of pastry crust.  I love the buttery, flaky texture.  When done right, it melts in your mouth.  What an awesome compliment to the berries!  My mouth was watering as I searched.

I wanted to try something new, so I settled on the recipe because of the different ingredients in the crust.  The berry mixture seemed pretty straightforward as far as pies are concerned.  The crust, however, intrigued me as it included buttermilk and cornmeal.  These are new crust ingredients for me.  Also, making the pie free form, rather than in a pan is a technique I have not yet tried.

Instead of the recommended pastry cutter or forks for cutting the butter into the dry ingredients, I employed my handy food processor.  It worked like a charm.  Remember, the kitchen has power tools too!

Buttermilk is not always something readily available in the refrigerator, but can be an ingredient needed now and again.  A dear friend from one of the New England states enlightened me years ago to the joys of powdered buttermilk.  I have a container in the refrigerator at all times, and have found it works perfectly.  I add the powdered buttermilk to any dry ingredients.  When it is time to add the wet ingredients, water is added in the recommended volume.  Instant buttermilk!

The dough was rolled out in a circle.  Not a perfect circle, but a nice round shape.  The berries were placed in the center of the circle in an even pile.  I read that with a galette it is important to space the berry pile evenly rather than “mound” in the center to assure even baking.  The edges of the crust were then folded around the berries to hold them in place.

This was a fun kitchen experiment and the resulting sweet treat was wonderful!  I served it with some whipped heavy cream sweetened with some confectioner’s sugar and flavored with a hint of vanilla.

Despite it not ranking high on the “health food” meter, my mental health reaped the benefit of both the experiment and the eating.

I hope you find the same!

Mixed Berry Galette with Buttermilk Cornmeal Crust

Serving Size: 8

Ingredients:

CORNMEAL CRUST

1 and 1/4 cups (156g) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (30g) cornmeal

1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (115g; 1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed

1/4 cup (60ml) cold buttermilk

FILLING

4 cups (about 600g) mixed berries

3 Tablespoons (37g) granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon (7g) cornstarch

1 Tablespoon (15ml) fresh lemon juice

Egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon milk

Coarse sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

Make the crust: Whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl. Using a pastry cutter or a couple forks cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse, pea-sized crumbs. Add the buttermilk and stir until the flour is moistened. Add 1 more Tablespoon of buttermilk if the dough seems dry. Gently knead the dough a few times on a lightly floured work surface until it all comes together. Shape the dough into a ball and flatten it into a thick disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days (or freeze up to 3 months).

As the dough chills, prepare the filling: Mix the berries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice together in a large bowl. Cover tightly and let sit until the dough is ready. I usually cover it and keep in the refrigerator during this time.

Preheat oven to 425°F (190°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone-baking mat. Set aside.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle (or any shape, really!). Trim the rim of the circle to make a clean cut if desired. Transfer dough to the prepared baking sheet. Spoon the berries (not the juices) into the center of the dough, leaving a 2-3 inch border all around. Gently fold the edges of the dough over the fruit, overlapping the dough as necessary. Press gently to seal the edges. Brush the edges with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown, about 25-28 minutes. Allow cooling on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Make ahead tip: Both the dough and filling can be made ahead of time and chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The dough can be frozen for up to 3 months after prepared. Allow thawing overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out and filling.