A galette is a flat, freeform pastry. I saw them in difference sizes in France–some large like a platter , others petite like a saucer.

I think of it as a much more forgiving pie. It has all the characteristics of the all-American dessert–flakey crust, gooey center–but requires much less fuss. There’s no crimping and very minimal rolling. You really can’t mess this up.

You can use anything fruit for the filling, as long as it’s not too soft and watery. Think more peaches and apricots less watermelon and honeydew. Some of the combinations I like are raspberry and rhubarb or cherries and apricots.

I used blueberries in this one because the are juicy and plump right now. I was a bit skeptical about adding cinnamon to blueberries. I usually think of cinnamon as a warm spice better suited for apples and stone fruits. But the combination works surprisingly well. You can’t really tell that it’s cinnamon, but you can definitely tell when it’s not there.

I like to serve this warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The center tends to be a bit runny when you cut this warm. Not a big deal if presentation isn’t that important. If you let it cool for a few hours, the center will set and you can get a clean cut. I’d serve the cooled version with some homemade whipped cream.

I hope you will take advantage of the beautiful summer berries and give this a try soon. Perhaps it will appear at your Fourth of July barbecue this weekend!

Blueberry Galette

Adapted from Gourmet, July 2004 and Food and Wine

Crust:

• All-purpose flour, 1 1/4 cup
• Granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt, 1/2 teaspoon
• Unsalted butter, 8 tablespoons (1 stick), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Ice water, 1/4 cup plus two or three tablespoons if needed

Filling:

• Fresh blueberries, 1 pound (about 3 cups)
• Cornstarch, 2 tablespoons
• Lemon zest, 1 tablespoon
• Lemon juice, 1 tablespoon
• Ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon
• Granulated sugar, 1/2 cup
• Salt, 1/4 teaspoon
• Unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon, cut into small pieces
• Egg, 1 large, beaten
• Turbinado sugar, 2 teaspoons, can be substituted with 1 teaspoon of regular sugar

For the crust:

In a bowl, mix the flour with the sugar and salt. Using a pastry cutter, or two knives, cut in half of the butter until the mixture until the mixture resemble coarse meal. Cut in the remaining butter until the largest pieces are the size of peas. Drizzle 1/4 cup of the water over the dough and stir until moistened. You can add more water, one tablespoon at a time, if the dough seems dry. You can also mix the dough in a food processor. Add the dry ingredients first, pulse a couple of times to mix. Add the butter and pulse until coarse meal forms. Drizzle the water through the processor’s feed tube. Dump the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap. Using the sides of the wrap to help, gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disc. Wrap with the plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

On a floured surface, roll the dough into a 10-inch circle and transfer onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

For the filling:

Stir together the blueberries, cornstarch, zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl until combined.

To assemble:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Spoon the blueberry mixture onto the center of the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border around edge. Fold edge over 1 inch of the blueberry mixture. Dot blueberry filling with butter pieces. Lightly brush beaten egg on the dough and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.

Bake until blueberry filling is bubbling and pastry is golden, about 30 minutes.

Cool on the baking sheet on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.