STRAWBERRY GALETTE

Simply Summer!

With the holiday season and the warmer weather coming to Australia, it is the ideal time to plan your Christmas menu to enjoy and share with family and friends.

Strawberries and summer are my inspiration for this simple but delicious Galette. It can be prepared in advance and served with scoops full of vanilla ice-cream.

Ingredients

For the Pastry

• 200g chilled unsalted butter, chopped
• 2 cups plain flour, sifted
• 1/2 cup sour cream

For the Filling

• 1kg strawberries
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons custard powder
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
• 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
• 2/3 cup flaked almonds
• Icing sugar

Method

• Place the butter, flour and a pinch of salt in a food processor and pulse to combine.
• Add the sour cream and pulse until the mixture comes together in a smooth ball.

• Wrap the pastry and chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 180C.
• Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
• Combine the strawberries, caster sugar, custard powder, lemon zest and vanilla pod and seeds in a bowl. Set aside.

• Roll out the pastry into a 35cm circle on a lightly floured surface.

• Carefully transfer the pastry to a lined baking try and place the fruit mixture onto the centre of the pastry leaving a 6cm border.

• Fold over the pastry edge to form a 3cm crust, pressing down lightly with your fingers to seal.

• Brush the pastry with egg yolk, then scatter with almonds.

• Bake for 45 to 60 minutes until the pastry is golden and cooked through and juices start to run from the fruit.

• Allow the galette to cool slightly and then dust the pastry crust with icing sugar.
• Slice and serve with your favourite vanilla ice-cream.

Tips

• Sometimes handling pastry in the summer can be difficult. It is best to leave the pastry in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. If the pastry is too soft just pop it in the fridge for a few moments.
• Sometimes strawberries are not too sweet, just add more sugar to the fruit mixture.
• You can replace the strawberries, for raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries or stone fruits such as peaches or nectarines.