I’ve said it before, but it’s true. I always have a pie crust or two sitting idle in my freezer for such an impromptu idea as whipping together a quick simple pie or tart. Cruising through the store the other day the strawberries and blackberries were on sale and they looked divine, so I picked up a few cartons. Summer is all about simplicity when it comes to desserts and this is no exception. When you make a pie crust, get in the habit of making double and park that crust (wrapped really well in plastic wrap) in the freezer. Crust is the most time consuming part when it comes to whipping a pie together. The filling is the easy part, especially when it comes to berries because unlike say apples, there is minimal prep work. This simple pie would also work with throwing in some blueberries as well in place of some of the strawberries. Take note that because the strawberries carry a lot of liquid, the pie is best eaten the day it is made.

 

It’s best eaten when the filling is still warm and the crust is crispy. Vanilla ice cream optional. Mmmm

Strawberry-Blackberry Galette

1/2 recipe fearless pie crust (or your favorite pie crust)

3  1/2 C  fresh berries (mixture of strawberries and blackberries)

1/3 C sugar + more for sprinkling edge of pie crust

1 Tbsp. all purpose flour

1/2 C almond meal

1 tsp. orange zest

heavy cream (or half and half for brushing pie crust)

1  1/2 Tbsp. Seedless Strawberry or Raspberry Jam for finishing

 

Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Roll out pie crust to approx. 1/8 inch thickness. Place the pie crust onto the prepared sheet pan.  Toss the almond meal, flour and orange zest together and sprinkle onto the rolled out pie crust, leaving about a 2 inch border.

Wash and dry the berries. Cut the strawberries in half or quarters depending on size. Aim for the same size as the blackberries.  I found strawberries that were really small in size so I just halved them (leave the blackberries whole). Toss the berries with the sugar (right before you assemble the pie).  Place the berries onto the bed of the almond meal mixture in a nice high pile and fold in the sides of the pie crust, pressing lightly. Brush the crust with the cream and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake the pie in a preheated oven for approx. 35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Note: you may need to cover the pie with tinfoil for the last 10 minutes or so if the crust is getting browned too quickly.

In a small bowl mix the jam vigorously to smooth out any lumps. Allow the pie to cool slightly then brush with jam  and serve warm.