I had high hopes for this quick little galette. What's not to love about fresh cherries in a flaky, buttery crust?
It looked so perfect when I slid it into the oven, plump and sweet and full of promise. But when the timer went off and I opened the door...no crusty, golden beauty.
Just a leaking, flaccid mess.
No!
But yes. I had inadvertently torn the crust and all the lovely juices had run out and burned into a hard, glossy varnish.
Don't let that steer you away from the recipe, which is really quite lovely. I made the best of the mess by cutting the tart into pieces and sliding them onto plates. A scoop of pretty-in-pink homemade strawberry-rhubarb ice cream drew the eye upward, like a good blush. If I weren't confessing, no one would be the wiser.
In the end, almost-lovely, and most important - delicious.
Fresh Cherry Galette
Serves 8
1 lb. sweet (Bing or other) cherries, pitted and halved
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 recipe patee brisee, chilled
Preheat oven to 375F. Roll out the patee brisee, on a lightly floured board, into a 14-inch circle. Transfer crust to a parchment- or silpat-lined baking sheet and chill for 20 minutes.
In a medium bowl, stir together cherries, sugar, and cornstarch. Pour fruit onto the middle of the chilled crust and spread to within 3 inches of the edge. Loosely pull the crust edges up and over the fruit, leaving an open space in the center (there will be odd folds and uneven edges - that's fine, it's supposed to be rustic looking). Place the baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes, or until crust is very browned and the fruit is soft and bubbling. Cool for at least 30 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
