Peach Galette

We went to the farmer's market on Sunday. As much as I love baking and cooking with fancy/silly/overpriced ingredients, I rarely get over to the farmer's market as much as I would like. I think it's because of the crowds and the fact that my husband hates the farmer's market.

We were meandering around, involuntarily smiling at the babies and dogs, and tasting various samples of produce. I saw what appeared to be a Korean Justin Bieber giving out peach slices, he gingerly placed a slice of white peach in my hand with metal tongs and, even though this isn't quite the peak of the season for peaches, it was tart and sweet and fragrant. I purchased two white peaches and and ogled a paper plate full of small white and yellow peaches marked $5. I said "Oh, I could use those to bake a tart. No, they are too expensive."

We got to the parking lot and I said "I should go back for the plate of peaches, no, they're too expensive, oh but I could make a tart..." We drove away and I continued to to mull over my options: One world with 5 fewer dollars but where a gorgeous peach tart made of white and yellow peaches, like a stained glass window, also exists; And another world, where there are 5 more dollars but no tart. We were finishing up another errand across town and I asked my husband if he would mind driving back so I could buy the peaches, he laughed. I'm a tragic clown. Bieber's mom laughed at me too and said "You're back! I knew it!" and gathered up the peaches for me.

I'm using the same recipe for the galette/tart crust that I made last year with nectarines. It's an Alice Waters recipe. It's a very good, the crust is tender and not terribly sweet. The fruit is mostly what you taste with this one. Yong said "MMMMmmmmm!" in such a high pitch that I knew he really loved it.







Dough:
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, just softened, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
3 1/2 tablespoons chilled water

Filling:
2 or 3 peaches sliced thin
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
5 tablespoons sugar

Glaze:
1/2 cup sugar

1. Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl; add 2 tablespoons of the butter.

2. Blend in a mixer until dough resembles coarse cornmeal. Add remaining butter; mix until biggest pieces look like large peas.

3. Dribble in water, stir, then dribble in more, until dough just holds together. Adjust with more flour if the dough is too sticky, more water if it is too dusty.

4. Flatten into a 4-inch-thick disk; refrigerate.

5. After at least 30 minutes, remove; let soften so it’s malleable but still cold. Smooth cracks at edges.

6. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 14-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Dust excess flour from both sides with a dry pastry brush.

7. Place dough in a lightly greased 9-inch round tart pan, or simply on a parchment-lined baking sheet if you want galette-style. Heat oven to 400°F.

8. Overlap peaches on dough in a ring 2 inches from edge if going galette-style, or up to the sides if using the tart pan (really do whatever pattern you like). Continue inward until you reach the center. Fold any dough hanging over pan back onto itself; crimp edges at 1-inch intervals.

9. Brush melted butter over peaches and onto dough edge.

10. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over dough edge and the other 3 tablespoons over peaches.

11. Bake in center of oven until peaches are soft, with browned edges, and crust has caramelized to a dark golden brown (about 45 minutes), making sure to rotate tart every 15 minutes.

12. Glaze: I just made a simple syrup with equal parts sugar and water heated until syrupy.

13. Remove tart from oven, and slide off parchment onto cooling rack. Let cool at least 15 minutes.

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies Yet

AKA: Breakfast for a week. This is a recipe taken from the New York Times. It makes a much better cookie than any other recipe that I've used. The refrigeration of the dough before baking creates a chewy, caramel-y center. It does seem unfair, cruel even, to prepare the dough and then have to wait 24 hours to get a cookie but it's worth it. I tried baking them unrefrigerated and the texture was not nearly as chewy and lovely.

I generally hate buying special ingredients, especially for baking, but I think the cake flour also improves the texture of the cookie. I did sub out the bread flour for all purpose though. They were still amazing. 

I'm thinking I may give these as gifts at Christmas time. They are huge and would look lovely tied up with bows.

Ingredients

• 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour 
• 1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate
• Sea salt

Instructions

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours
3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Notes

Recipe from Jacque Torres and The New York Times

*NOTE CHILL TIME of 24-72 hours- it WILL yield a better cookie

Key Lime Cheesecake Pie

I know I promised that I would branch out and stop stealing recipes from smittenkitchen. Nearly a full month later I am making good on my promise. I found this recipe for Key Lime Cheesecake bars from a ridiculous publication called "Clean Eating," I indifferently take them out of my mailbox every month and leaf through them for 20 mins and immediately dump them in the recycling bin. I found a reasonably good-looking recipe for Key Lime Cheesecake bars. I have been wanting to make something with Key Limes since Cinco De Mayo. I just baked these in a pie dish and refuse to cut them into squares. In my opinion, squares are the lowest form of desserts. It's the most boring presentation imaginable for something that should be the dreamy, fantastic finale to a meal.

This recipes calls for some fruity things, like evaporated cane juice, Neufchatel cheese, and "all-natural whole-wheat graham cracker squares," whatever the hell those are, but you know what to do: Just use white sugar, cream cheese, and honey maid graham cracker squares. I also think ginger snaps would be stellar for the crust for next time. I would also replace sour cream with plain greek yogurt, I always do, but due to a rip in space/time I found myself with sour cream but no greek yogurt D:

This recipe needs about 1/4 c. more sugar. While this cake is lovely, as is almost anything containing key limes, it is lacking a certain sweetness that I am used to. The more I eat it the more I think it might be better this way, but no, it's probably better with more sugar, like most things.

I'm also including some photos of my adorable strawberry plant that will probably yield me a good 8! berries this season (not all at once either) and other general garden photos. I also bought some carrots to grow in the huge planters out front as long as the deer don't eat them.

Also, in a step I probably should have taken initially, I will put all the photos first and list the recipe at the end for easy copy/paste. I doubt that I will go back and retroactively apply this change throughout, but maybe if I'm bored later.

Key Lime Cheesecake Pie
Ingredients:
7 rectangular sheets of graham crackers
3 tbsp butter, melted 8 oz cream cheese
1 c. sour cream or plain greek yogurt
1/2 (+1/4?) c. of sugar
1 tbsp lime zest (from 2 limes)
1/2 c. fresh lime juice (same 2 limes!)
1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a pie pan with non-stick spray/butter the dish.
2. In a food processor, smash the graham crackers until they are fine. With the machine running, pour in the melted butter. Process for another 2-3 seconds. Transfer the mixture to the pan and press it into the bottom forming an even layer all around. Bake for 9 minutes, until edges are light brown. Cool slightly.
3. Reduce oven to 325. Process the cream cheese and sour cream in food processor until smooth (about 1 min). Add sugar, lime zest, and juice (I also added 4 drops of green food coloring here because it gives it extra flavor ;) process until smooth. Add egg and process until just combined. Spread/pour the mixture into the prepared crust.
4. Bake for 38-40 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10 before covering with plastic wrap/tin foil and placing it in the refrigerator to set for about 8 hours. Garnish with extra lime zest here if you like.