Raspberry Cinnamon Galette for Pies on Parade

Raspberries are my favorite right off the bush, warm and bursting with tart juice on a summer’s morning.  However, if, in the middle of winter, that scene seems a far way off, a raspberry galette full of sweet, lemony berries is the next best thing.  Not too much sugar, but enough that it compliments the tang of the berries.

This is the second pie that I served at Rheal for Pies on Parade here in Rockland, Maine last weekend.  My feet hurt and I talked with only a fraction of the 480 people that walked into Rhonda’s store AND I left her place feeling satisfaction for our good work and our part in helping the Area Interfaith Outreach Pantry raise close to $20,000.

While organizers are still tallying up the monies raised, they figure if one $25 ticket  can buy 3 meals for 5 days for a family of 4, then we raised more than 43,000 meals this weekend. The collaborative business community that we have fostered in Rockland is unique and something to be proud of.   Nice work, Rockland!  Good to be a part of your community.

Raspberry Cinnamon Galette
We have in our garden what is becoming a raspberry forest, where eventually the saddest thing happens and we get tired of eating raspberries. Even as I write this I find it tremendously unbelievable, but it’s actually true. When this implausible moment occurs, we pick but don’t eat them and freeze the berries for the middle of winter when we can’t remember what it’s like to be tired of eating raspberries. When using frozen berries in the galette, I bake it for 70 to 80 minutes.

2 cups raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon large grain sugar such as demerara or turbinado
1 galette crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the galette crust onto the sheet. In a medium bowl, combine raspberries, sugar, flour and cinnamon. Toss together and place in the middle of the galette dough leaving a 2 to 3-inch border. Fold the border up and let the pleats fall naturally. Pinch them together where they fold. Dot the raspberries with little bits of the unsalted butter. Brush the edges of the dough with the milk and sprinkle with the large grain sugar. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the raspberry center is bubbly and set up some the crust is golden brown. Serve warm or cool, cutting with a pizza wheel or sharp knife.

Serves 8

Galette Crust
This crust is a rustic one made so by the addition of the cornmeal. It is not as flaky as you think of a perfect pie crust, but is instead supported by the structure that the cornmeal provides.

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup ice water
1/4 cup buttermilk

Combine all of the dry ingredients. Add the butter and either press with your thumbs or use a pastry knife to incorporate. The mixture should look something between bread crumbs and small peas. The smaller the pieces, the more tender and flakier the crust. Add the ice water and buttermilk. If you need more liquid, add 1 teaspoon at a time until the mixture forms a ball. Divide into two, cover well and put in freezer for 30 minutes. Lightly flour the counter top and roll out one disc into an 11-inch circle to receive the raspberry filling. Reserve one disc for another galette.

Makes enough for two 8-inch galettes