{recipe} Double Vanilla Peach-Berry Galette

Recently a friend asked me for a fruit galette recipe. Did I have one? Well, no. I usually wing it on galettes because to me that is the nature of the thing, casual and thrown together. Make a single pie crust, put some fruit in the middle, and fold it over somewhat roughly. Much easier than a pie but with much the same general outcome. So this got me thinking: how could I improve upon my usual galette enough to warrant writing out a recipe for it?

I used three not-so-secret ingredients to make a super great galette: cream cheese in the dough, extremely fresh and seasonal fruit for the filling, and two whole vanilla beans–one in the crust and one in the fruit. The cream cheese makes the crust tender yet easy to work with. My husband declared it the most delicious dessert I’ve made this year. The best part is you don’t need any of those tricky pie skills, as long as you can roll out something somewhat circle-ish and gently fold it over.

I used peaches and strawberries, but you can use almost any fruit you like. It’s a fantastic way to take advantage of summer’s bountiful, beautiful fruit crop!

Recipe:  Double Vanilla Peach-Berry Galette
makes one 9 inch galette

Note: I used 2 kinds of fruit for taste and looks, and prepared them separately. If you want to use one kind of fruit or just combine the fruit all together, use about 4-5 cups of fruit and combine them with a whole vanilla bean, 2 Tblsp flour, and 1/4 cup sugar in place of following steps 1 and 2 below. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 peaches, peeled and sliced
• 2 cups strawberries, sliced
• 2 vanilla beans
• 1 2/3 cup plus 2 Tblsp flour, divided
• 1/2 cup sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut in chunks
• 1/4 cup cream cheese
• 1 egg
• large pinch salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp heavy cream
• turbinado or pearl sugar for garnish (optional)

METHOD:

• Put peaches in a small bowl and strawberries in a separate bowl. Hold one vanilla bean flat and slice lengthwise. Scrape the seeds out of one side with a paring knife and add seeds to the peaches. Scrape out the other side and add to the strawberries.
• Add 2 Tblsp flour and 2 Tblsp sugar to the peaches and stir. Add 2 Tblsp sugar to the strawberries and stir. (Don’t worry if the vanilla seeds are clumpy – as the fruit sits in the sugar it will get more juicy and you can re-stir to distribute the seeds before assembling.) Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare a half sheet pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
• In a mixer with paddle attachment, combine butter, cream cheese, and 1/4 cup sugar until fluffy.
• Scrape seeds from both sides of remaining vanilla bean and add to mixture. Add 1 egg and mix well to combine.
• Add 1 2/3 cup flour and a large pinch of salt. Mix just to combine. If there are dry pieces at the bottom, use your hands to bring the dough together gently but don’t overmix.
• Form into a ball and pat into a disk on top of the parchment. Roll into a circle (rough is OK) that’s about 14 inches in diameter. Measure out a 9-inch circle in the middle of the dough and mark it off with your fingernail or a knife.
• Stir the peaches and strawberries again to distribute the vanilla seeds and the juice. Arrange fruit within the 9 inch parameter.
• Gently fold the dough over the fruit, pressing lightly to close together.
• Use a whisk or fork to combine the yolk and cream. Use a brush to brush the egg wash over the crust. Sprinkle entire galette, including fruit, with turbinado or pearl sugar.
• Bake about 30-40 minutes, until crust is golden brown and fruit is bubbling.
• Serve warm with whipping cream or ice cream.