Not So Pie Pie
Spend more time with your family and less time in the kitchen with these low-maintenance yet full-flavored dishes.
JANET LONDON FIELDS APRICOT & CHERRY GALETTE
Yields 6-8 servings
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE TOPPING:
- 2 Tbs. sugar
- 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
- 1 lb. fresh apricots, washed, halved and pitted
- 1 ⅔ cups cherries, washed and pitted
- 1 egg, beaten
- vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, to serve (optional)
- 1 Tbs. almond meal
FOR THE DOUGH:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 6 Tbs. cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
- ¼ cup ice cold water
- a pinch of salt
- a pinch of sugar
DIRECTIONS
For the dough, combine the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl and either cut in the cold butter with the back of a fork or use two knives.
Avoid overmixing—leaving larger chunks of butter than you would expect will make the pastry more flaky. Drizzle in the water and bring it all together into a ball without working the dough. Wrap in plastic wrap, then flatten into a disk and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking pan with parchment paper. Let the dough come to room temperature so it’s easier to work. Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the dough into a circle about the size of a dinner plate. Put it into the baking pan and refrigerate for a few minutes.
Remove the dough circle and sprinkle the sugar, flour and almond meal over it, leaving a 1¼ inch border around the outside. Arrange the fruit on top of the almond meal—you can put the cherries in the middle and the apricots in a circle around them, or make up your own pattern.
Fold over the dough rim to create a crust. Brush the rim with the beaten egg, and bake in the bottom half of the oven for 45-50 minutes, until the fruit is squashy.
When cooked, transfer the galette to a wire rack to cool.
Serve warm or cold, with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.
STRAWBERRY & BLUEBERRY COBBLER
Yields 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
- 1¾ cups blueberries
- 3¼ cups strawberries, hulled and quartered
- ¼ cup superfine sugar
- ¼ cup corn starch
- 1¼ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1¼ cups gluten-free baking powder
- large pinch of salt
- 3½ sticks unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- ²/³ cup heavy cream, plus extra for brushing
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Combine the berries, sugar and corn starch and put the mix into a deep 1½ quart baking dish.
Put the flour, baking powder, salt and butter into a bowl and use the back of a fork or two knives to break up the chunks of butter into tiny pieces. Pour over the cream and mix until it all comes together.
Press the “dough” into a ball and place on a floured work surface. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes. Then roll out the dough to a ¾ inch thickness and cut out circles with a cookie cutter.
Lay the circles flat over the fruit, brush with extra cream and place on a baking pan to catch any drips.
Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
DITTISHAM PLUM CRISP
Yields 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
- 2¼ lbs. tart plums
- ¼ cup superfine sugar
- 3 Tbs. gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbs. sweet white wine
FOR THE TOPPING:
- ²/³ cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 cup almond meal
- ½ cup slivered almonds
- ¹/³ cup packed light brown sugar
- a pinch of sea salt
- ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1¼ sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into half-inch cubes
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Halve and pit the plums and put into a bowl. Toss with the sugar, flour and wine and put into a deep 9- to 10-inch baking dish.
Put all the crumb topping ingredients into a bowl and use the back of a fork or two knives to break up the chunks of butter into tiny pieces.
Sprinkle the topping lightly over the fruit and place in the oven.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden.
