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 playing 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. 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!
Galette with strawberries and cream cheese
The strawberry and cream cheese galette I am sharing today is a variation on another popular recipe on my blog, Crumb Apricot Cheesecake. That 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 used instead of a sable pastry, and the cream cheese layer is 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.
Serving suggestions
Serve this galette on its own and no one will complain. But for something even more special, try an elegant lavender cream or nutty amaretto cream! Pie and ice cream are legendary friends for a reason. A creamy pistachio ice cream is my enthusiastic recommendation. Like any good pie, this strawberry galette can be served either hot or cold. Serve it straight from the oven or make it for later, you really can’t go wrong!
Storage and leftovers
With most pies I would suggest storing them at room temperature for up to two days. But this pie has cheese, which means that it will need to be kept in a refrigerator. Let the galette cool, then either cover it with plastic wrap or store it in a pie container if you are lucky enough to have one. It will keep for up to two days. I’m a fan of cold galette, especially when sneaking a piece for breakfast. But it can also be warmed up by placing in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
