Fresh Fruit Galette

Want dessert for tonight that takes just a few minutes to prepare?

 Consider a galette, a rustic French-inspired pastry easily filled with anti-oxidant rich fruit. How does this girl have time to fill her kitchen with the aromas of gooey fruit inside a delightful, flaky, crisp pie crust? I used store-bought crust! Oh yes!

I’ve listened to all sort of podcasts and talked with multiple members of my extended Wehri and Schroeder families about how to make the ideal pie crust. The truth is, I don’t really love pie crust that much . . .  so spending time trying to perfect it is not my bag. I was the kid who loved my grandma’s pies, but mostly for the insides – the juicy fruit, the salty-sweet peanut butter filling, the nutty sweet pecan crunch. So it makes sense that using store bought crust would save me time.

I thought to make a galette with my kids when we got our hands on a ton of fresh fruit from a local farm and the boys asked to make a pie. What easier way to get kids involved in the kitchen than with dessert! 

So, how does Dr. Katie make a pie healthy? Well, let’s talk about what you’re putting in the galette. Fruit is Nature’s candy! It’s hard to argue with the gorgeous colors of raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries, but don’t forget purple plums and golden yellow peaches. Pile on those antioxidant-rich, fiber-rich fruits!

Nature makes whole fruit into the perfect package of sweet and fiber. When we eat fruit in the whole form, the release of insulin in the body in response to sugar is slowed down due to the fiber. This means we stay fuller longer, feel more satiated, and avoid the ups and downs of sugar crashes.  Keeping our blood sugar level, ultimately, is what prevents cardiovascular and metabolic diseases like diabetes.

Do we get the same benefits as whole fruit on our blood sugar when we eat a fruit dessert? Well, it depends how the dessert is made and what else we have at the same time as the dessert. If you had a healthy dinner full of fiber and good fats before eating a small piece of dessert, the likelihood your blood sugar stays fairly level is good. 

Read more about good fiber-rich food sources here!

Now, let’s talk about galette-making strategy. Afraid of a soggy galette? Here’s a recipe hack for you: after un-rolling your pie crust, sprinkle a tablespoon of bread crumbs or crushed crackers on top before filling with fruit. The bread crumbs will soak up the extra liquid from the fruit and keep your bottom from getting soggy!

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 store-bought pie crust 

1-2 Tbsp bread crumbs, crushed crackers or crushed cookies

2-3 cups of fruit, washed and sliced if needed (we used berries and a nectarine in one version and apples in another) - fresh or frozen/thawed

1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg, if desired

¼ tsp kosher salt

1 egg, beaten + 1 Tbsp water

Sprinkle of sugar (raw sugar looks the prettiest!)

Directions

1.    Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place baking rack in the middle.

2.    Mix together fruit, flour and spices.

3.    Un-roll the pie dough onto a flat pan lined with parchment paper

4.    Sprinkle your bread crumbs (or equivalent) over the bottom of the pie crust.

5.    Top pie dough with fruit mixture, slightly mounding in the center.

6.    Fold over the rim of the crust, over-lapping the dough as you work around, making pleats.

7.    Beat the egg with 1 Tbsp water and brush gently over the exposed crust and then sprinkle with sugar.

8.    Bake for about 30-35 minutes until edges are deep golden-brown and fruit is cooked. 

9.    Transfer baked galette parchment to a cooling rack and let it cool completely before slicing – trust me, it’s worth the wait!

Enjoy!