mulberry and cream cheese filling in a flaky pastry crust
The end of June and beginning of July mark mulberry season. This is an underutilized berry in my opinion. Granted, they don’t have the strongest of flavors and they are not found in stores like other berries, and some people consider them a nuisance because of the stains they leave, but there is something so delicious and worth the any slight inconvenience all the same.
If you don’t have a mulberry tree growing in your yard and you live in the Midwest, I encourage you to go out and walk around your neighborhood or local parks, looking for trees with small purple berries. They almost resemble tiny blackberries, and in some ways the flavor is similar too. Try a few and discover the deliciousness of mulberries. I personally like the lighter purple-pink berries that are slightly tart. The very ripe ones have a more mellow and deeper flavor. Once you have your mulberry source, you are now prepared to craft delicious muffins, jams, or other desserts like this wonderful galette. If you can’t find mulberries or they are out of season, this recipe would work with other berries as well.
This galette, has two layers of filling. A honey and cream cheese layer, that is fairly simple in flavor, and the mulberries on top. As I mentioned previously, mulberries have a pretty mellow flavor. Given that, I like to pair them with subtle flavors so they don’t get overpowered. The cream cheese layer, provides that little bit of accent flavor with it’s vanilla and honey, without overpowering the berries.
To make the galette, start by mixing the dough in a food processor (or by hand) and allow to chill while you mix the other layers. As with any typical pie crust, make sure not to overwork your dough or add too much water! You want just enough to get the dough to come together and form a ball. To make the cream cheese layer, whip the cream cheese until soft then add the remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Toss the berries with the sugar for the second layer and you are ready to put the galette together.
Roll the crust to the desired shape (I frequently make this on a rectangular tray so I shape mine into an oval instead of a circle) with the dough about 1/8 in thick. Spread the cheese layer then the berry layer, leaving about 1.5 -2 inches around the edge to fold up over filling to form the sides. Remember galettes are free form so it doesn’t have to look perfectly symmetrical or even. While an egg wash is not required, it helps give the beautiful golden brown color to this dessert. After baking, let the galette cool just a few minutes before serving.
I hope you enjoy this seasonal dessert and fall in love with mulberries as much as I have.
– The Recipe –
Mulberry Galette
prep time:20 -25 min
total time: 1 -1.25 hour
makes:10-12 slices
Ingredients
Crust
- 1.5 c flour
- 1 stick (8 tbsp) butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cream cheese
- 5 tbsp ice cold water
Cream Cheese Layer
- 12 oz cream cheese (1 1/2 packages)
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 egg
- 1/8 c sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
Berry Layer
- 4.5 c mullberies
- 1.5 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 pinch clementine zest (optional)
Egg Wash
- 1 beaten egg
Directions
- In a food processor pulse the butter and flour and salt until well combined.
- Add the cream cheese and half the water and pulse until just combined. Add the remaining water slowly, pulsing between each addition until the dough just comes together.
- Chill the dough 10-15 minutes, wrapped in plastic wrap, while you mix up the remaining layers.
- In a mixer, beat the cream cheese until soft on medium-high speed (about 3 minutes) then add the remaining cream cheese layer ingredients and beat until well combined (about 3-5 minutes).
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Mix the ingredients for the berry layer.
- Roll the crust to aproximatly 1/8 in thick and transfer to a baking sheet.
- Add the cream cheese layer, keeping about 1.5 – 2 inches around the edge empty.
- Add the Berry layer and fold the edges up over the filling so it is contained.
- Brush the egg over the top of the crust.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 3-5 minutes before serving.
Apricity 