I seem to be going through something of a pie phase at the moment. I am working on a feature that includes a few pies and it has become an obsession to make the perfect pie dough and fillings. To illustrate my obsession, as I write this I have five separate batches of pie dough in the fridge, shortly to be turned into a whole variety of pies, in fact I probably actually host a four course pie dinner at the rate I am going. Suffice to say I love making pies, but there is many an occasion that a full pie, with a lattice crust, multiple stages and a long prep time is just not what I need. This quick strawberry galette, with its quick prep time and minimal ingredients is therefore my perfect summer dessert. The pastry is quick and simple and the filling couldn't be more straight forward. Even better than the simplistic nature of this recipe is the fact that this is a simple rustic affair and perfection isn't actually desirable. No more worrying about trying to make a fancy recipe live up to the picture, there is actually something beautiful in the simplicity of this recipe, plus it will be devoured in minutes so no one is going to care what it looks like.

For this recipe I have hopped over onto @QKatie's YouTube channel to show her how to make the galette so head over there and give it a watch. On my channel this week, Katie shows me how to make something a little unusual; black sesame cupcakes with avocado frosting, go and check it out!

Strawberry Galette
Cornmeal Crust
175g plain flour
75g coarse cornmeal
2-3tbsp caster sugar
1/4 tsp salt
125g unsalted butter, diced
4tbsp ice cold water

Filling
500g sliced strawberries
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp cornflour
100g ground almonds

Preheat the oven to 190C (170C fan).

To make the pastry place all the dry goods into a large bowl and mix together to combine. Add the butter and toss in the flour to coat. Using a flat edged knife or a pastry blender cut in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. Drizzle in the water a bit at a time, using the knife to stir it into the flour mixture. Once all of the water has been added the mixture should be starting to form clumps. At this stage tip out the dough onto the worksurface and use your hands to bring together into a ball. Flatten into a disc and wrap in clingfilm, refrigerate for about an hour before using. 

When ready to bake make the filling by simply tossing together the strawberries, caster sugar and cornflour, setting aside until needed. On a lightly floured worksurface roll out the pastry into a large circle, about 3mm thick. Sprinkle over the ground almonds leaving a thick border around the outside clean. Spread the strawberries over the almonds and fold the excess pastry over the strawberry filling. Brush the pastry with a little beaten egg and sprinkle with demerara sugar.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Allow the tart to cool before serving.