So, not a fantastic photograph I’m afraid but this was last nights pudding, it was on the table and I had to get a picture before it got eaten.  I have to share it though because it was the simplest, as these freeform tarts or galettes always are, and just fabulous because of the combination of fruit and crispy sweet pastry.  Immediately I have to admit that it was bought shortcrust (come on, it is the summer holidays) but that doesn’t matter.  I chose nectarines and cherries because I had some a little soft and in need of eating up.

I rolled the pastry, my daughter put the fruit on and folded the crust up, we popped it in the oven and it was done.  As luck would have it, a chance putting together of ingredients produced something wonderful.  I can’t take any credit – it was simply what was in the larder and I needed to make a pud.  Serendipity.

Nectarine and Cherry Galette

2 nectarines, sliced

A handful of cherries, stoned and halved

A handful of raspberries

1 dessert spoon plain flour or ground almonds

250g sweet shortcrust pastry

2 dessert spoons caster sugar

Preheat the oven to 190 and put a flat baking tray on the shelf to heat.  Put the fruit into a bowl with one dessert spoon of caster sugar, give it a mix and leave while you get on.  Roll out the pastry into a rough circle or oval.  Transfer gently to a tin lined with baking parchment.  Sprinkle the middle of the pastry with the flour or ground almonds (this will absorb any excess juice and stop the base of the galette becoming soggy).  Top with the fruit, fold the pastry edge over the fruit, sprinkle the whole thing with the remaining dessert spoon of sugar.  Put the tin into the oven directly onto the baking tray – this will ensure the base gets cooked properly and will be crisp and lovely.  Cook for 30-35 minutes until golden.  Some juice may leak out which matters not.   This was enough for 4 and we had it with cold cream.  Vanilla ice cream would be good too.

If you have pastry left, make mini versions of this or my lemon and raspberry tarts (June 2013) or just good old fashioned jam tarts.  Alternatively of course you could just make a bigger one of these and up the amount of fruit.