Mini Raspberry Rhubarb Galettes
Hey ya, August. Hey ya, last month of the summer (waaaaaaaah).
Last chance for summer desserts. So, behold, one of the most summery desserts I could think of - raspberry rhubarb galettes.
Rhubarb? Summery. Raspberries? Summery. Pies and galettes? Summery. Rhubarb raspberry galettes? Summery. Mini rhubarb raspberry galettes? Suuuuper summery. Because individual portions of desserts that can be held in the hand and eaten with little to no serving utensils are perfect for summer picnics and other such outings.
Also, galettes are perfect for summer in general because, as far as pies go, they're as fuss-free as you're gonna get.
Galettes are pies, without the complicated weaving and fluted edges and inevitable cracked crusts and fruit juice leaks. They're rustic pies. They're "it's-so-nice-out-and-I-don't-wanna-spend-6-hours-in-the-kitchen-laboring-over-a pie pies.
I'm all about those summer desserts. Especially miniature ones. By now you probably know how I feel about miniature objects. Like mini cupcakes. And mini donuts. And mini cookies. And mini galettes.
Okay, I'll admit, these raspberry rhubarb galettes are not exactly tiny. They're not miniature in the sense that you look at them and fear you may expire from all the cuteness. But these galettes are definitely small. Smaller than a regular galette. Because they're individual galettes. Single serving. ALL YOURS.
This recipe makes 8 small galettes. But you can probably squeeze together 12 or even 14 if you really make them tiny. You could also just go ahead and make 2 larger galettes from this recipe. It's a little less work. But, warning, they'll be a lot less cute.
I've expounded on the virtues of this crust in my honey apple galette post. To summarize, this crust has vodka in it, because vodka inhibits gluten development. Which is awesome for pie crusts, because less gluten development means a crust that's much more flaky and tender.
There's also an interesting mixing method used for this crust. I'm not gonna talk about it here. But if you're actually curios about it, you can read the explanation in the other galette post. There's also a video tutorial there, as a bonus.
All you have to know is that this pie crust is amazing and yields a crispy yet tender crust with perfect flaky layers.
The filling is simple. Rhubarb, raspberries, sugar, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla extract. Use either fresh or frozen fruit. Whichever is more convenient for you. Because it's summer. And who cares.
I like brushing the crust and the top of the fruit with a honey-water mixture after I remove the galettes from the oven to give them a beautiful sheen and a nice, sweet contrast to the tart and tangy fruit filling.
I also like eating my galettes with vanilla ice cream. Because pie and ice cream. And summer. And ice cream. It just makes sense. And I feel it's the right thing to do.
mini raspberry rhubarb galettes
Yield: 8 individual galettes
Crust:
2 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 oz.) cold butter, cubed
4 tablespoons ice water
4 tablespoons cold vodka
Filling:
1 lb. rhubarb (fresh or frozen)
2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)
4 tablespoons flour (or 2 tablespoons cornstarch)
1 cup sugar (or a little more if raspberries are very tart)
Zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 stick melted butter, for brushing
- Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
- Honey mixed with a bit of water, for brushing (optional)
Crust: In a food processor, pulse together half the flour, the sugar, and the salt. Sprinkle in the cubed butter and pulse till all the flour is coated in butter, you have cottage cheese-like clumps, and the dough is almost homogenous. Pulse in the remaining flour until you get pea-sized crumbs. Do not over mix! (Click here for a video tutorial.)
Sprinkle in the water and vodka and pulse a few times until you have small crumbs again. Do not pulse until a dough forms - the dough should still be crumbly. If the dough sticks together when you press it between your fingers, it's done. If it doesn't clump, pour in a drop more water and pulse again until the dough sticks together when pressed between your fingers.
Pack the dough together with your hands, wrap it in a large piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap, and chill for 40 minutes in the fridge or 25 minutes in the freezer. While chilling, prepare filling.
Filling: Slice rhubarb into 1/2-inch thick pieces and place into medium bowl. Toss with the raspberries, flour, and sugar very gently. Stir in the lemon zest and juice and vanilla extract. Let filling sit 10 minutes while rolling out dough.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Flour work surface and rolling pin. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a circle (doesn't have to be perfect).
Use a slotted spoon (so most of the liquid is strained) to place a few tablespoons of filling into the center of each circle of dough, leaving the edges of the dough bare. Fold over the empty border of dough on top of the fruit.
Place galettes onto prepared baking sheets. Brush the border of each galette with the melted butter and sprinkle Turbinado/raw sugar all over the galettes.
Freeze galettes on baking sheets for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 F.
Once chilled, bake galettes for 20-28 minutes, or until they're golden brown on bottom and top. While galette is still hot, brush the fruit and the crust with the honey-water mixture. If desired, dust with confectioner's sugar and serve with ice cream.
