Baking with Cheryl

The clouds stared down. I threw on a rain jacket just in case. With my backpack filled to the brim with flours and a never-touched-gluten rolling pin, I was off. Cheryl and I were going to bake. Weeks ago, we discovered that we lived only a handful of blocks apart, so a baking date was in order. I left the house hoping that rain wouldn’t fall, or at least that it wouldn’t fall too hard.

The rain came, but by that point, I only had a block or two left to go (and was trying to not get turned around as I glanced at the map for directions). When I arrived, the girls bounded with excitement. Who was I? A teenager tends to mean babysitter, so they rushed to show me everything they loved. Once the pre-planned idea of baking came about, their excitement kept pace but simply changed forms.

Everyone donned an apron (I borrowed one of Cheryl’s lovely ones), and the races began. Pie had been decided, but what form would it take? A true pie? Hand pies? Galettes? Everyone seemed to settle on that last word. It was the magic key to the day. After making the dough in the food processor, we tested rolling it out, but it needed to harden a bit in the freezer.

We cut up peaches and plums, washed blackberries, and then tossed them all together. Tonka bean dust fell on top, with the dreamy scent emitting into the air.

It was a calm chaos. Excitement and ease, all at once.

Tossing in some sugar and millet flour, we wanted it just sweet enough that you could still enjoy the natural tartness of the fruit. Add more or less if you want. Some sweetness is good, but it can be great to savour the fruit with their honest flavour. Try it out sometime.

Leftover ice water? Don’t mind if I do.

After some tea, the pie crust was ready to roll.

(Cheryl took this photo!)

We turned the crust every so often to prevent stickage and make a more even (round) crust. I love when it slides like this.

(Cheryl took this photo too!)

For the second galette, we needed an extra peach. Cheryl cut it up in no time (I’m getting faster, slowly 😉 ).

All folded. Put the crust on parchment paper, fill with fruit filling, and use the paper to bring the pie crust over. It’s so much easier, and less likely to break!

Brushed with cream. Ahh… time to dream of flawless crusts.

When everything was baking, we danced, we played, we had a ball.

I think the photo says it all.  Anticipation, a cool breeze coming from the window, the freshest summer fruits.  Endless stories ready to be told.  Maybe you have your own.

We’re food bloggers. We take lots of photos. Didn’t you know?

Once it was cool enough and safe for little hands, bits were stolen, sampled and enjoyed.

Whipped cream, slightly sweetened, with some extra tonka bean. Gosh those are good. Tonka beans have such a great flavour (and yes, they’re banned in the States. I don’t know the exact info, but I think it was something about blood thinning.) Luckily though they’re fine in Canada, Aimée had introduced them to Cheryl, and Cheryl did so to me. A very complex, fascinating flavour!

Thank you Cheryl for having me over. We must do it again sometime!

You can read (and see!) Cheryl’s half of that day on her site.  Who have you baked with lately? A friend, new or old?  Or maybe there is someone you have been dying to bake with. I’d love to hear!

{edit: Some of you were asking for the recipe, and although it’s incredibly vague and simple, here it is!} It makes two galettes.

Prepare your pie dough. Freeze if it is sticking too much, then continue when hardened (we had to let it soften a bit again). In a large bowl, mix together skinned, sliced peaches, sliced plums and blackberries (the ratio is up to you – use what you have! We used the most of peaches, then probably even amounts of blackberries and plums), with some millet flour (not much – spoonful or two), sugar and a whole grated tonka bean (vanilla beans would be a different flavour, but brilliant as well!).

Roll out your pie crust into a round shape, about 3 mm thick. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place half of your prepared fruit in the centre of the pie crust, then form the crust over the edges of the fruit, using the parchment paper to bring it over gently. Brush crust with cream. Repeat with second crust and rest of fruit.

Bake in a preheated 375 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the fruits are cooked through with juices bubbling.

xoxo
Lauren

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