This strawberry and cream cheese galette is a quick and lazy way to enjoy delicious fruit pies in the summer! And look how GORGEOUS!
Galette fans will love this classic Strawberry Galette!
I don’t love baking the same way I do cooking. I prefer taking a more creative approach to plying with flavours than the precision you need for great baking.
My preference is to be creative when I cook while randomly throwing herbs and spices in to discover new flavour combination.
Yes, I still make elaborate cakes like Naked Cake and Rose Rhubarb Layer Cake but only when a certain amount of inspiration strikes. My everyday bakes are much simpler and are quite rustic like my Chocolate Fudge Cake with Stewed Rhubarb or Wild Blackberry Tea Cake.
Still, I absolutely adore baking simple cakes with summer fruit and always bake several of them throughout the summer. This brings me to today’s strawberry and cream cheese galette!
Galette recipes
Galettes are my favourite pies to make, and not only because of the lovely rustic look. They are so quick and simple to bring together but the results can be fantastic!
Strawberries are a great fruit to work with because they cook quickly and at the same pace as the pastry. Other fruit can work perfectly well, though, such as in this Yellow Plum and Blueberry Galette!
Savoury galettes can also be incredible and are a great way to use vegetables for a memorable lunch. Give this Grilled Eggplant and Roasted Red Pepper Galette a try!
This galette is a bit of a cheat since I am using already made shortcrust pastry. But I am sure you won’t mind since it will give you more time to enjoy the lovely weather!
If you feel like making your own, this pastry recipe comes from my mother-in-law and is our family favourite! It takes a bit more effort but the results are stunning!
Rustic Strawberry and Cream Cheese Galette
The strawberry and cream cheese galette I am sharing today is a variation on another popular recipe on my blog Crumb Apricot Cheesecake. This cheesecake is a traditional Russian dessert with a few personal tweaks.
The rustic strawberry and cream cheese galette is taking the same idea a step further. It adds a luxurious cheese layer to the classic fruit galette recipe, the perfect match for fresh summer strawberries!
The pastry is a classic shortcrust instead of a sable pastry, and the cream cheese layer is much fairly thin. You get to taste sweet and juicy strawberries and enjoy the creamy layer underneath without either dominating.
As you can see in the step-by-step photos, the assembly is very easy. The whole galette comes together in less than 20 minutes if you use a prepared pie crust.
In my recipe I used farmer’s cheese also known as “tvorog” or “twarog”, which is found in all Eastern European shops and in many grocery stores. I prefer the slightly tangy taste and a firmer texture of tvorog. If you can’t track down farmer’s cheese, feel free to use cream cheese.
Recipe tips
- Brushing the edges with egg wash helps to maintain the shape of the galette and gives the baked pie a lovely golden look.
- Make sure the sliced strawberries are well coated with sugar and flour. This prevents the liquid from the strawberries from making the pastry too soggy.
- Other berries such as blueberries or raspberries can be added to the strawberries to add different flavours to the galette.
- This galette was made with a rectangular shape, but a traditional round shape can also be used without affecting the recipe.
Ingredients
- 375 g /13 oz prepared shortcrust pastry
Strawberry layer
- 400 g /14oz strawberries
- 75 g ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp flour
Cheese layer
- 250 g /8 oz full fat farmer's cheese or cream cheese
- 100 g /1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
- In a food processor or a blender combine farmer’s cheese, one egg, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest, process until smooth. (Skip this step if using cream cheese. Simply combine all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes.)
- Slice the strawberries and gently toss with sugar and flour ensuring each slice is even coated. This step is important and prevents from too much liquid forming in the filling.
- Unroll the prepared pastry sheet and leave it on parchment paper it was packaged in. Spread the cheese mixture on it leaving a 2 inch border all around, then lay out the strawberry slices directly on top of the cheese in one layer.
- Pick up the sides of the parchment paper and carefully fold the sides of the pastry all around the filling, pinch the corners together and brush with the remaining beaten egg. Transfer on a baking sheet with the parchment paper and put in the fridge to firm up for 20 minutes.
- Take out of the fridge and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 180C/350F and bake for 30 minutes longer until golden.
- Let it cool for one hour before serving.
MARY ANN says
Why are your strawberries so shiny and glazed? I tossed mine in sugar and flour but they are not glazed looking like yours.In fact, my berries look rather dull.
vikalinka says
I can’t really answer your question since I am not in the kitchen with you but my guess is it’s the quality of strawberries.
Laura | Tutti Dolci says
I love a summery strawberry galette and this one is stunning!
vikalinka says
I love a fruit galette too but my husband prefers a traditional pie, so I usually have to make one after another, so everyone is happy! 🙂