There are so many things that I love about making a fruit galette that I don't even know where to start! I’ve made variations on this dessert countless times and it always delivers an artistic and impressive end to any meal.
It’s incredibly satisfying to roll out a piece of dough (I usually have a couple pre-made in my freezer for any kind of spontaneous entertaining moment!), scattering whatever fruit is in season, or you happen to have on hand. For this recipe, I love the way the Pistachio Halva adds a unique depth of flavor, crunch, and a subtle sweetness that perfectly balances the tartness of the rhubarb.
I would also add here that creating all of the layers for this galette, including the rolling out the dough is a fun baking activity to share with your kids!
INGREDIENTS
For the dough
2 1/2 c all purpose flour
2 sticks unsalted butter, cold, sliced into thin pieces
1/4 c ice water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
For the filling
1 c Seed + Mill Pistachio Halva*
3/4 lb rhubarb, approximately 4 large stalks, trimmed & cut into 3 inch sticks
2 c chopped strawberries
2 c water
5 tbsp sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp raw or demerara sugar
1 egg, beaten
STEPS
For the dough
1. I usually make my dough by hand. Start by combining the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl, then add the butter, quickly working your fingers through the mixture, flattening out the butter into small pea size chunks which resemble a coarse oatmeal.
2. Add ice water, and continue to knead with your hands, until the dough holds together in a ball. If you still have streaks of butter in the dough, this will create a nice flakiness to your finished galette!
3. Test if the dough is ready by squeezing the ball and seeing if it holds together. If the dough immediately crumbles, add 1-2 tablespoons water until it holds together.
4. Divide into two smaller balls and cover in plastic wrap. Flatten the balls into discs and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. I often freeze my dough and keep it in advance for another occasion (it will last at least 3 months in your freezer).
For the filling
1. Combine the water, sugar, lemon juice to a saucepan on high heat and simmer until sugar dissolves. Place the rhubarb stalks into the pan and reduce the heat to low. Poach the stalks for 15 minutes - don’t stir or mix the rhubarb during this process as the stalks will start to fall apart. Remove stalks from the liquid and set aside on a plate. Reserve ½ cup of poaching liquid for a final brush of the galette at the end. The stalks should be soft, but maintain their shape.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 400 F.
3. Remove dough from the fridge and roll out onto a floured surface or between two sheets of parchment paper until you have approximately a 16 inch round (the edges do not need to be perfectly round - mine are often a jagged edge mess and still look and taste delicious once baked).
4. Place the dough onto a baking tray, lined with parchment paper.
5. Scatter the dough with the halva, leaving a 2 inch border. If you could only find plain sesame halva, consider adding a few chopped pistachios or hazelnuts for crunch.
6. Place chopped strawberries over the halva. Then place rhubarb stalks over the strawberries. I like to use a herringbone style pattern, but feel free to lay the stalks over the fruit in whatever direction looks nice to you.
7. Fold the border of the dough towards the center, allowing for overlapping edges. Brush the exposed dough edges with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the raw sugar.
8. Bake for 45 minutes (or until your crust looks golden brown and the fruit is slightly bubbling around the edges). Allow the galette to rest for about 5-10 minutes so that the crust holds its shape and the fruit doesn't fall apart.
9. Brush with reserved sugar syrup (for shine) and serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of ice-cream or yogurt!
*If you can only find plain sesame halva, consider adding 1-2 tbsp chopped pistachios or hazelnuts for crunch.
Serves 4-6