Cherry & Chèvre Galettes with Arugula and Balsamic
makes four // crust recipe adapted from The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book
pie crust
1/4 cup cold water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
handful of ice cubes
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, very cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
In a small measuring cup, combine water, vinegar and ice; set aside.
Combine flour, salt, and sugar in the work bowl of your food processor and pulse to combine. Drop in the cold butter cubes and pulse several times, until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Slowly drizzle in a small amount of the vinegar mixture and pulse until the dough just holds together when squeezed gently. You may need to add more of the vinegar mixture but start small and increase as needed - if the dough becomes too wet it is hard to turn back.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape into a small disc. Wrap the disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. While the crust is chilling, prepare the fillings and preheat oven to 375 degrees.
chèvre filling
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 ounces chèvre
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks
In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in goat cheese, salt, sugar, and eggs; mix until smooth.
Transfer the filling to a piping bag and refrigerate until ready to use.
cherry filling
- 1 cup rainier cherries, pitted
- 1 cup dark sweet cherries, pitted
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
In a medium bowl combine cherries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Toss until all the fruit is evenly coated.
assembly and arugula
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 4 heaping cups fresh arugula
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- olive oil
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and water.
Turn your chilled pie crust out onto a well-floured surface and roll to about 1/4-inch thickness. Using a small bowl or round of paper as a guide, cut 5 1/2-inch circles out of the dough. Place the rounds on the prepared baking sheet.
Pipe a 2 3/4-inch circle of the chèvre filling into the center of each piece of dough. Stud the cream filling with the prepared cherries. Then, form small galettes by pulling the edges of dough up and around the edges of the fillings, overlapping the dough and pinching to seal. Place the galettes in the freezer for 20 minutes.
After the galettes have chilled, brush the outer crusts with the prepared egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 35-40 minutes; until the crusts are deep golden and shiny.
While the galettes are baking, place balsamic in a small saucepan and reduce by half by simmering over medium high heat until thick and syrupy. Set aside to cool.
Transfer the baked galettes to a cooling rack and cool until warm while you prepare the salad.
Prepare the arugula by dressing with a heavy drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Toss and set aside.
Cook's Note: I prefer to let the greens rest for 5-10 minutes after dressing. This gives them a chance to soften a bit.
To serve: Top each galette with a heaping cup of the greens and serve immediately with a drizzle of the balsamic reduction. Enjoy!