Mixed Berry Galettes

Ladies of the Lake
I’ve invited them for tea
hoping for a response
to dine with me on this
warm spring day.

Perhaps they can’t choose 
what elegant gown to wear
or which slippers suit their attire best.
It’s been said the yellow is the first to arrive
followed by pink beauty
who often steals the show.

The calendar has been set
though Spring is known 
to be a season’s trickster
holding all the ladies back.

Who will arrive first is anyone’s guess.
It could be the Ladyslipper adorned in shades of yellow
or the Moccasin Flower veiled in delicate pink.

Meet One of the Ladies-Yellow Lady's Slipper

Mixed Berry Galettes

These little galettes are free form tarts-the perfect single serving summer pie.
They're crisp, flaky and delicious. A great way to take advantage of a late spring and early summer berry bounty.

Galette is a French name and refers to a free-form pie or pastry. Instead of being baked in a pie or tart pan, the edges of the dough are simply folded over the sweet or savory filling. Galettes have a more rustic presentation, can vary greatly in size, and are typically easier to prepare. Also known as a crostata (Italy).
Ingredients:

• 3 cups mixed fruits (I used a combination of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries) 
• 1 tsp. Saigon cinnamon
• 2 TB. cornstarch 
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1/2 lemon (2 TB.) 
• One box refrigerated pie crust with 2 rolled pie crusts (I used a Pillsbury product)
• 1 egg beaten for egg wash
• 2 TB. sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 
• Ice cream or whip cream optional but highly recommended
• Almonds

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium size bowl combine the fruits, sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, zest and juice of one lemon. Set aside.
• Sprinkle your work surface with a bit of flour then roll out one of the pie crusts so that it's flat. Using a bowl that's about 6 inches in diameter, cut 3 rounds from the pie crust, by pressing down on the bowl or running a pizza wheel around it. You will have to reroll scraps if you want 4 circles each 6 inches from one pie crust.   

• Spoon about 2-3 heaping tablespoons of the fruit mixture (drained so crust does not get soggy) into the center of a pie crust round, then fold the dough up toward the filling, crimping the edges. Repeat with remaining ingredients. 
• Place the galettes onto the prepared baking sheet using a spatula. Brush each galette with beaten egg, add a few crushed almonds and sprinkle the entire galette with cinnamon sugar mixture.
• Bake the galettes for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Use a spatula to remove galettes from baking sheet to a wire cooling rack until serving . 
• Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Cooking Tips:

• If your pie crust has come down to room temperature, place the baking sheets with the unbaked galettes in the fridge for about half an hour so that the dough gets cold again, otherwise your galettes might open up during baking and you'll end up with a mess.
• Be sure to press corners firmly to seal galettes or may unfold during the baking.