Galettes Glory!

Have you ever eaten a galette for dessert? If not, you should try this simple yet incredibly delicious baked treat from our French brethren.

A galette falls into what I would describe as the rustic dessert category, nothing fancy but nothing short of remarkable! It starts with rolled out pastry dough that’s filled with fruits, nuts, chocolates, or pretty much anything of your choosing.

The outer edges are tucked over top in pleats, brushed with egg white, and sprinkled with sanding sugar. And then the galette is baked on a parchment-lined sheet pan in the oven. C’est magnifique!

It can be one large galette for everyone or individual mini-galettes for each person, and I like to mix it up between round, square and rectangular shapes.

Words don’t do it justice but I’ll try. When you open the oven and remove this hot pastry with its slightly browned, sugary edges filled with aromatic fruit delicately broken down by the high heat, be prepared for your knees to buckle. Seriously, buckle.

And when you add vanilla bean ice cream or whipped cream on top, and watch it slowly melt into little rivulets over the hot pastry and fruit, it’s a moment. A special moment!

In fact, I would choose this simple, rustic dessert over most any other, with the exception of my favorite homemade plain pound cake. It’s that good. It’s that worth making.

Over the years, I’ve made galettes with strawberries, blueberries, nuts, nectarines, blackberries, peaches, dark chocolates, and all combinations of these. I’ve read that some people make them with savory cheeses and meats tucked inside the pastry but I don’t know how I feel about that. I think I’ll stick with my fruit versions.

Of course, if you haven’t guessed, you must serve a galette steaming hot.

The best way is to seat your guests all in a row at your kitchen island or at your table; fuss around a bit with your oven gloves and other such things to let their mouthwatering build; have your vanilla ice cream or whipped cream at the ready; and then when they can barely stand it any longer, remove the galette from the oven and turn to face them with outstretched arms holding the sheet pan.

I promise you’ll hear enough oohs and aahs to last you a while!

These exclamations will last only up until the moment the filled dish is placed in front of them, the cream rivulets slowly trickling down the warm sides, and a spoon handed over (do this part at the very last moment!).

Do not be concerned by the lack of sound, the sheer silence that will greet you, when the first and second (and sometimes third) bites are taken. This is to be expected. Your guests have entered galettes glory. All should be quiet as it is.

And when they ask for it again for a future visit, play a little coy and tell them you aren’t sure when you’ll be making galettes again but you’ll let them know. History will repeat itself. Galettes glory!

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