I love the classic combination of rhubarb with strawberries, but it’s not strawberry season yet in Connecticut. The rhubarb always comes in first – and I’m impatient. I’ve already started harvesting the rhubarb from my garden, so while I wait for the native strawberries to come in I’ve combined it with grocery-store raspberries to make this stunning Raspberry Rhubarb Galette – which just might become a new favorite.
This free-form, single-crust, fruit-filled pastry is called a “galette” in French cuisine, and a “crostata” in Italian – there’s no difference, but since I was making this raspberry-rhubarb version as part of a French menu I went with “galette”. No matter what you call it, this rustic yet gorgeous dessert is easier than pie and very versatile – make it with any seasonal fruit you like.
Because this pastry lies flat on the baking sheet without a pie plate to contain it, the filling is thicker than the usual fruit pie filling. Rhubarb and raspberries both have a high moisture content, so a little extra cornstarch in the filling helps it to firm up and keeps the crust from getting soggy.
Both rhubarb and raspberries are enhanced by the flavor of vanilla. I used vanilla sugar in place of regular granulated sugar, but if you don’t have vanilla sugar on hand, just use granulated sugar and a splash of vanilla extract. (For a tip on how to make your own vanilla sugar, see this post for Peach-Vanilla Crisp.) And don’t skip the vanilla ice cream on top – this Raspberry Rhubarb Galette is lightly sweetened to let the tart flavors of the fruit shine through, so a dollop of sweet ice cream is the perfect finishing touch. Serve the galette warm and let the ice cream melts into the fruit.
For the crust, I use my standard pie crust dough, which makes enough for two galettes. Either double the filling recipe and make two, or freeze the other half of the dough for your next galette, single-crust pie or quiche. For this galette, you’ll roll out the pastry just as you would for a regular pie, then carefully transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Mound the filling in the center, and gently fold up the edges to enclose the filling. Don’t worry if your galette doesn’t form a perfect circle (mine didn’t), or if the edges of the crust crack and let some of the filling leak out (mine did). A galette is meant to look casual, and yours will be beautiful no matter what with its glowing, jewel-toned fruit filling.
Prep tips, making this ahead, and what to do with leftovers:
- If you want to prep ahead, start with the pie dough. It can be made the day before and stored in the fridge, or made further ahead and frozen. If frozen, let the dough thaw overnight in the freezer and then sit 15 to 30 minutes at room temperature before rolling out. If the dough has been chilling overnight, let it sit for 15 minutes before rolling.
- The raspberry-rhubarb filling can also be made ahead by several hours and left chilling in the fridge.
- You can bake the galette early the day and let it sit at room temperature until serving. Reheat the galette on a baking sheet in a 300 degree oven for 15 minutes or until warm all the way through.
- For best results, enjoy the galette the day you bake it. If you have leftovers, try to use them up within one day. Reheat leftovers as described above.
If you love rhubarb, in addition to the crisp recipe linked above, you might also be interested in these Rhubarb Crumble Bars with White Chocolate Drizzle.
To see this dish as part of a country French spring dinner menu, read the post for Saturday May 15, 2021.
Raspberry Rhubarb Galette
Ingredients
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons cool water, divided
- One pound rhubarb stalks, sliced into ½-inch pieces (about 3½ cups sliced rhubarb)
- 2/3 cup vanilla sugar (or 2/3 cup plain granulated sugar plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, divided)
- 9 ounces fresh raspberries (1½ cups or ¾ of a pint), divided
- Half recipe of pie crust dough (for 1 single crust)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- Vanilla ice cream for serving
Directions
- Step 1 In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of the water until the cornstarch is dissolved. Set the mixture aside.
- Step 2 Put the rhubarb, the vanilla sugar (or plain granulated sugar) and half of the raspberries in a medium saucepan and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of water. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the raspberries have broken down and the rhubarb has just started to soften. Stir in the cornstarch mixture, stirring vigorously to make sure all the cornstarch mixes in and dissolves and there are no lumps remaining. Return the mixture to a simmer and simmer 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and gently stir in the remaining raspberries. If you used plain granulated sugar instead of vanilla sugar, stir in the vanilla extract now, too. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and chill for 40 minutes or until the mixture is completely cool.
- Step 3 While the rhubarb mixture cools, make and chill the pie crust dough.
- Step 4 Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Step 5 Whisk together the egg and cream in a small bowl.
- Step 6 Roll out one half of the pie crust dough to a thin round, at least 13 inches in diameter. (Reserve the other half of the dough for another use.) Use kitchen shears or a sharp knife to trim off any rough shaggy edges to form a clean-edged, 13-inch dough circle. Carefully transfer the dough to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Step 7 Mound the rhubarb filling in the center of the dough, spreading it out to within about 2 inches of the edge. Carefully lift the edge and fold it in over the filling, working your way around the galette and pleating the dough every few inches. Brush the entire exposed edge of the dough with the egg wash.
- Step 8 Bake the galette for 30 to 35 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Let the galette cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before serving it warm with vanilla ice cream. To serve, either slice the galette on the baking sheet, or carefully transfer it to a serving plate – the galette will be soft and delicate so support it while you move it – the removable insert from the bottom of a 9-inch tart pan works well, just slide it carefully under the galette and use it like a giant spatula. If you’re making the galette ahead, let it cool completely on the baking sheet, then reheat at 300 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
