My grandmother has always been adamant about one thing. If the option is available, go to the farmers’ market. And if the farmers’ market has fresh peaches, you better get a few. Figure it out later. (For her, it’s easy to say, since she has access to one of the most gorgeously abundant small-town farmers’ markets I’ve ever seen every Saturday in the Panhandle of Florida.) A summer peach is something so glorious that it doesn’t need a whole lot of coaxing to really sing. Eat it plain like an apple, slice it up over yogurt for breakfast, quickly grill it to throw over a salad, or turn it into a sweet, gooey dessert that’s best served with a scoop of ice cream. The latter is her signature move.
While peach cobbler during a Southern summer is as classic as it gets, there’s an equally simple dessert that feels a little bit fresher and is always guaranteed to bring in the compliments: a peach galette. Basically like a rustic, naked version of a pie (no pie dish required), a galette makes the most of fresh peaches in a quick, throw-together type of way — and my grandmother’s easiest-ever galette only calls for six ingredients to get the job done. The best part? It doesn’t have to look perfect. The bohemian rustic-ness adds to the charm.
All that you’ll need to get started is store-bought refrigerated pie crust, fresh peaches, a little bit of sugar, a pinch of cornstarch, one lemon, and — of course — butter. You can make one big galette using a 9-inch crust, or she’ll sometimes use two to four pie crust rounds and cut off about two inches around the perimeter to make miniature versions of her galette. You can also customize the recipe to substitute any fruit of your choice. Start with her basic, prep-friendly recipe below, and go wild!
Ingredients:1 [9-inch] refrigerated pie crust2 cups fresh peaches, sliced into thin wedges3 tablespoons sugar2 tablespoons lemon juice1 tablespoon cornstarch1 tablespoon melted butter or heavy cream
- To start, she stirs together peach slices, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Set aside. (You can add a teaspoon of vanilla extract if desired.) Gently roll out 9-inch pie crust to make just a tad thinner. It will be about 10 inches in diameter afterwards. Lay out pie crust on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Using a slotted spoon to keep too many juices from making it onto the dough, spoon the peach mixture onto the center of the pie crust round. Arrange in a cascading circular design. (The peaches shouldn’t overlap too much, but feel free to keep it rustic!) Make sure to leave two full inches all the way around the perimeter bare. Gently fold the bare perimeter edges towards the center and up over the outer edges of peach mixture. Gently pleat and press to seal. Think of this step as enveloping the peach mixture in a little hug. The center will remain open, but all of the edges will be held in by dough. To finish, you can use either melted butter or heavy cream to brush the exposed edges of the pie crust (the part that’s been folded up around the peaches). This helps get the golden-brown, toasty finish. If using heavy cream, you can sprinkle extra sugar on top of the dough if desired. Bake on 375 degrees for about 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size and breadth of your galette. You want the fruit center to be gooey and bubbly, and the outer pie crust edges should be golden brown and crisp. Let cool completely (about 30 minutes to an hour) before serving. NOTE: If making miniature galettes, divide out the peach mixture accordingly. Bake for 15 to 25 minutes.
Serve up this easy galette with some homemade ice cream or whipped cream, and you’ll be the talk of the family cookout.
