Berry Galette

just like becoming an expert in wine, you learn by drinking it, the best you can afford. You learn about great food by finding the best there is, whether simply or luxurious. The you savor it, analyze it, and discuss it with your companions, and you compare it with other experiences.  Julia Child.

 

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Thank you Julia, that's just what we're doing.  Sampling, baking, cooking then photography and writing all about it to share and learn from one another's experiences.   If she only knew what a great impact she made on all of us.

This summer I've been making galettes with peaches and pears for the farmers' market.  The crust is a simple pate brisee, with frangipane (baked almond cream) and sliced fruit.   They'so so tasty and sell out right away.   This week's Baking with Julia galette is slightly different.  This one is made with berries, and no filling.   The crust is made with flour and cornmeal, making it crunchy and very earthy.   If you 'd like to follow allow and make a galette, Lisa of Tomato Thymes in the Kitchen and Andrea from The Kitchen Lioness  will have the reicpe written on their blogs.   The best part about this recipe, is you don't need a fancy schmancy tart ring or pan.   Just a baking sheet and some parchment paper.

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The dough goes together quickly in the food processor.  I found it to be a little dry so I added about 1 T of water.  I also used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.  After a good chill, it was very nice to roll, and shape. I used strawberries, blueberries, blackberries.

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After 40 minutes of baking, the galette was golden and so wonderfully fragrant!  I feel like I should have added a little more sugar to the top.  The crust doesn't have a lot of sweetness, and it could have been just little sweeter.  I did really like the additional of cormeal. the earthy crunchy texture was perfect for the freeform beauty.    HOpe you enjoy this one!  Your friends will love it!

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Time for Apple Pie

Welcome to The Little French Bakery Blog! It's such a great time of year. Perfect for starting new projects and trying new recipes.

As many of you know, Gary and I just returned from Italy. We attended an amazing cooking class on wood-fired cooking. It was so fun to get up every day and fire the oven with the residual heat from the day before. We roasted, baked, grilled and learned many great new recipes. One of the best days was learning to remove all the bones from a chicken and roast it under bricks in the oven. I did it! A few years ago, I was wearing gloved to remove the neck from a chicken if there was a little left. Now... ta da! It's hard to believe that a whole chicken can be roasted in just 12-18 minutes, and be so delicious.

Another of my favorites was an apple crostada. A simple tart crust filled with apples and set on on the oven floor to bake. The first half of the baking was on parchment paper, then 2nd half directly on the oven floor. Wood fired cooking adds such a great dimension to food. Not smoky, but just moist and flavorful.

We arrived back at home just in time for fall and the start of apple season here in Wisconsin. I love apple pie! I've picked up some Cortland and yellow Delicious and am ready to start baking. This time, I'm going to try a new recipe, and bake in the outdoor oven. I'll give it a try and post the recipe if it turns out!

As you bake your apple desserts this fall, try adding some creme fraiche as a topping. It goes so well with apples. Another tip for a new taste is to omit the cinnamon and "usual" spices. Just add vanilla. The French aren't crazy about cinnamon and only use it sparingly. Once you try an apple dessert without cinnamon, you might be hooked.

To make creme fraiche: 2 cups heavy cream 1 T buttermilk Stir together and allow to rest overnight (not refrigerated). In the morning, stir the thickened creme fraiche and refrigerate, covered. It will continue to thicken and sour over the next few days. It can be kept up to 10 days or so. It can be whipped slightly for topping, or added to warm dishes as you would cream/sour cream without separating. Enjoy!