Drunken Cherry Galette

Let's talk about galettes.

Galettes are basically just a fancy name for a pie that is "ugly".  Except these galettes are SO PRETTY.

Straightforward ingredients...  Sugar, flour, salt, butter, water.



In a large bowl, combine the flour,



With the salt and sugar.

Then add in the pieces of butter.  It's best if the butter is cold.  For the majority of baked goods - butter should be at room temperature (or melted if the recipe indicates).  But for pie - COLD.

Then, using a fork or a fancy schmancy pastry cutter if you have one, cut the butter into the flour until it is about the size of peas.

I prefer my pastry cutter - but a fork works just as well.  Though it might take a little longer.



Then you're going to add in cold water (again - pie crust ingredients must be cold), and stir the mixture until it comes together.  Knead it until it holds together in a dough ball and then refrigerate.

On to the filling.



Remove the stems and pit the cherries.  I used a chopstick to remove the pits and it worked really, really well.  Just press the chopstick through the cherry from the stem end and the pit will pop out the other side.

Once all the stems and pits are removed, put the cherries in a shallow dish.  I used a pie plate.

In a measuring cup, combine the wine, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

Then add in the sugar.



Stir the wine, lemon, and sugar mixture together and pour over the cherries.  Stir around to coat the cherries.  I would probably use a different vessel for this next time.

Let sit for about an hour.

After the hour is up, strain the liquid from the cherries and transfer into a pot.  The recipe says to remove 1/4 cup of the wine mixture from the pot, but I didn't.  And it turned out just fine.  Just took a little longer to cook down.



Start simmering the wine mixture until it is reduced to 1/4 cup.  (Mine was only a couple of tablespoons because I halved the recipe).  Then stir in the cherries and add in 1 teaspoon of cornstarch.  Stir again.



The get your dough ready.  Split the dough into equal portions and roll out to desired thickness. 

Top with the cherry mixture and fold the edges up and over the cherry mixture.  It doesn't need to be perfect!

Brush the top of the crust with an egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Then bake.

I topped mine with freshly whipped cream.

Oh - MY this turned out so good.  It's slightly time consuming - but altogether worth it.  

I loved a number of things about this recipe.  1 - the crust was so easy to put together.  2 - the wine, lemon, and cherries came together completely perfectly.  3 - it is easily halved.  4 - It is BEAUTIFUL in its imperfection.

 



The last thing.  Probably that I abandoned my fork and ate it like a pizza.  I have no shame.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!  xoxo - Heather

Drunken Cherry Galette

Note:  I didn't halve the recipe below

Note:  I'm using my "mistake" instructions - but I believe it'll turn out

11 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces

2 cups flour

2 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 - 6 Tablespoons ice cold water

1 1/4 pound sweet cherries (pitted cherries will yield 1 pound)

1 cup red wine

1/4 cup sugar

juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 egg whisked with 1 Tablespoon water

coarse sugar for sprinkling

whipped cream for topping

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
2. Add the butter.  Cut the butter with the flour mixture until the butter is the size of peas.
3. Add 4 Tablespoons of water to the flour mixture and stir together.  Add the last bit of the water 1 Tablespoon at a time - but only as needed.  If the mixture holds together when pinched between your fingers, no additional water is required.
4. Gently knead until a dough comes together.  Shape into a disc and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
5. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
6. Remove the stems and the pits from the cherries.  Place in a shallow dish.
7. Combine the wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, and sugar in a bowl.
8. Pour over the cherries and stir to coat.
9. Let cherries soak for one hour.
10. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
11. Strain the liquid into a pot over medium heat.  Set the cherries aside.
12. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduced to about 1/4 cup.
13. Once the liquid has reduced, add the cherries and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch.  Stir to coat the cherries and dissolve the cornstarch.
14. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll out to desired thickness.
15. Place a dough round onto the baking sheet, put 1/4 of the cherry mixture into the center of the dough and fold the edges up around the edges of the cherry mixture.  Don't enclose the cherries. 
16. Repeat with the remaining 3 dough rounds.
17. Use the egg whisked with the water and brush the tops of the dough.  Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
18. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 - 30 minutes, until the mixture is bubbling and the crust is golden brown.
19. Remove and let cool.  You can eat this while it is still warm (totally amazing) or let it cool to room temperature. 
20. Top with whipped cream.

Source:  The Brewer and The Baker