Saskatoon Berry Galette

we make it a tradition each and every summer to visit the Saskatoon Farm.  we end up with our fill of nature and full buckets of fresh picked berries.  the kids have become experts at this task now, and with four sets of hands, we manage to get a great haul in a short period of time.

aside from saskatoons (which are pretty much on the tail end of 'doneness' for the season,) the sour cherries were also ripe for the picking.  

although, we we were on the sole mission to bring home as many saskatoons as possible; in part for the galette that i was planning on making, but also for muffins, and bars, and whatever other sweet treat i can muster up.

here is a look at the day and the delicious dessert that soon followed.

cheers.xo.

Saskatoon Berry Galette

ingredients:

pate brisee
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup ice water

filling
1/4 cup sugar, plus 1/4-1/3 cups(depending on sweetness of berries)
3 tablespoons ground almonds
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 cups Saskatoon berries
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small bites
1/3 cup preserves (peach or blueberry)

vanilla bean ice cream & confectioners' sugar for serving

method:

make the pate brisee:  put the flour, butter and salt in a food processor and process for 5 seconds; the butter should still be in pieces.  add the ice water and process for 5 seconds longer, just until the dough comes together;  the butter should still be visible.  remove the dough from the processor and gather it into a ball.  on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 16-by-18 inch oval 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick.  drape the dough over the rolling pin and transfer it to a large, heavy baking sheet.  chill the dough until firm, about 20 minutes.
preheat oven to 400F.

make filling:  in a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar with the ground almonds and all-purpose flour.  spread this mixture evenly over the dough to within 2 inches of the edge.  arrange the berries on top.  dot with butter and sprinkle all but 1 teaspoon of the remaining sugar over the fruit.  fold the edge of the dough up over the fruit to create a 2-inch boarder.  {if dough feels cold and firm, wait for a few minutes until it softens to prevent it from cracking.}. sprinkle the border with the reserved 1 teaspoon of sugar.

bake the galette in the middle of the oven for about 1 hour, until the fruit is very soft and the crust is browned.  brush preserves over hot fruit.  if any juices have leaked onto the baking sheet, slide a knife under the galette to release it from the sheet.  let the galette cool to room temperature before serving.

dust with confectioners' sugar and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream if desired.