MINI PEACH, CHERRY & BLUEBERRY GALETTES with almonds -Little bites!

Do you get hypnotized by certain posts. I’m afraid I’m afflicted by this strange phenomena, but I love it. And it kicks in whenever I see a post with galettes, the sweet ones, full of fruit. I find galettes to be very ‘free spirited’….…in the sense that they don’t need to conform to boundaries, something that is reflective of my inherent nature. I like my freedom, I like rustic & moreish appeal, so I like galettes. Inspiration continues to come from unexpected sources. Been twittering with Edna’s Cafe for really long, & so one fine day decided to stop by. I was enamoured by her gorgeous Peach Blueberry Galette. It enticed me no end, as did her post asking if there were more like her who go to the store to fetch something, get totally distracted & get things that were far from the list?

Moi, I yelled! That is so like me. Fruit chomped as fruit is good, & that condition is fulfilled by my little peach monster. Beyond that, I firmly tell myself before I enter the local bazaar, no more peaches for baking, no more berries for the cooler, too much sugar entering the system… No matter how firm the resolve is, I always give in to the delicious fruit that call my name softly from shelves. It doesn’t help that the kind vendor pulls out reserved stuff from boxes below to offer me prime pieces that he keeps for me. Vicious circle…like the galettes.

1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup; cold butter (I grated frozen butter)
1/3 cup fat-free buttermilk

Fruit Filling:
7-8 peaches – medium, skinned & chopped
250gms cherries, pitted & halved
1 packet freeze dried blueberries (or 1 cup of fresh blueberries)
1/4 cup granulated vanilla sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 chopped almonds (optional)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon granulated vanilla sugar or turbinado sugar
Vanilla sugar for sprinkling
Slivered almonds for topping

Method:

• For the dough: Combine flour, sugar, cornmeal, and salt in a processor; pulse 2-3 times.
• Grate in frozen butter and pulse 4-5 times, or until mixture resembles coarse meal. With the processor running, slowing pour the buttermilk through the chute, processing until the dough forms a ball.
• Remove the dough ball and adhere any remaining pieces of dough to it, divide into 2 if making min galettes, or 1 large ball, flattened slightly, then wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30-35 minutes. (I did it for almost an hour because the weather was HOT)
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees C.
• To make the fruit filling: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and toss gently, making sure that the cornstarch is coating the fruit. (This will prevent too much juice from leaking out while the galette bakes.)
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. For mini galettes, divide each 1/2 ball into 4. Starting at the center of the dough, roll out each quarter on a floured surface to form a 6″ wide circle.
• Transfer the rolled out dough to the lined baking sheet. Add the fruit mixture to the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. (I had to hold my filling in a sieve briefly because it has a little excess liquid)
• Fold the border over the filling, overlapping where necessary and pressing gently to adhere the folds. Seal any stubborn edges with remaining fruit juice.
• Brush galettes with milk and sprinkle with granular vanilla sugar.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes (1 hour for big galette), or until crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool for at least 20 minutes. (Cutting it too quickly will cause the dough to crack).
• Note: Galettes are best served at room temperature or slightly warm. Our seconds were enjoyed chilled too. Optional garnishes include vanilla ice cream, a dollop of creme fraiche, or freshly whipped cream.

This is off to Mansi @ Fun & Food Blog for SHF-Fruit and Nut which she is playing host to this month .