My blueberry picking adventures have continued, which means another blueberry recipe today! This Blueberry Cheesecake Galette uses three cups of blueberries, making it an ideal recipe for helping me manage my blueberry “problem”!
A galette is one of my go-to recipes when I need an impressive looking dessert. It’s a lovely way to showcase all kinds of Summer produce (I like to think of a galette like an open-faced pie). And even if it comes out a little lopsided, it still looks amazing. I’m fact, I think I prefer the rustic appearance of a galette over a perfectly crimped and latticed double crusted pie. A galette just feels like the right amount of “relaxed” for a casual Summer dinner party or gathering.
There are three main steps to making this Blueberry Cheesecake Galette. I know the one that is going to give people the most pause is making the homemade pie dough. But it’s really very easy and oh so worth it. I do not recommend using store-bought pie dough for this recipe. I know it’s tempting. But this isn’t the kind of recipe where you can hide a store-bought crust behind lots of other ingredients and flavors. The crust is a BIG part of a galette, so you’re going to want it to be amazingly flaky and delicious.
And this all-butter homemade pie dough is definitely amazing. You only need 4-ingredients (flour, salt, butter and water) and about 10 minutes of time. It can be made a couple days in advance and kept in your refrigerator. Or if you’re like me, you can keep a few disks of pie dough wrapped and stored in your freezer for any spur of the moment galette emergencies! I usually like to double the pie dough recipe as I’ve written it below, divide it into two disks and freeze one for later use. Your future self will thank you!
The blueberry filling is simply fresh blueberries tossed with sugar, cornstarch and a bit of lemon. The cheesecake layer was kind of a last minute add-in, but I’m loving the little bit of richness and creaminess that it lends to this galette. I was worried that it might make the galette too soft and hard to slice. But I think the opposite is true and that once it firmed up, it actually helped to hold the all the layers together. This was one of the most sliceable galettes I’ve made recently!
Serve this Blueberry Cheesecake Galette with a few scoops of vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream and you’ve got the perfect Summer dessert! Let me know if you try it!
Cheers,
Liz
Blueberry Cheesecake Galette
Ingredients
For the Pie Dough:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
- 3-5 tablespoons cold water
For the Cheesecake Layer:
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
For the Blueberry Filling:
- 3 cups blueberries
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. cornstarch
- Zest from 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
For Finishing:
- 1 egg white, beaten
- 1 tablespoon large-grain sugar (I used turbinado)
Instructions
- To make the dough, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and toss to coat the butter in the flour. Then with your hands, work the butter into the flour by squeezing it between your fingers. Once the butter pieces are about pea- sized, make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add 3 tablespoons of the cold water. Toss the mixture with a fork to moisten it. The dough will be shaggy, but should hold together when pressed. If it doesn’t, add another 1-2 tablespoons of water until it does.
- Using your hands, bring the dough together and form it into a disk. Wrap the dough disk tightly in plastic wrap and place it in your refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. The dough disk can also be frozen for several months.
- To make the cheesecake layer, add all the ingredients to a medium bowl. Using a hand-held mixer, beat until completely smooth. Set aside.
- To make the blueberry filling, add all the ingredients to a medium bowl and toss to combine. Set aside.
- Remove the chilled dough disk from your refrigerator and unwrap it. Place it on a well-floured work surface. Dust the top with flour as well. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle. It doesn’t have to be perfectly round. While you’re rolling out the dough, flip it over/rotate it a couple times to help prevent it from sticking. Slice the dough onto a piece of parchment paper and place it on a large baking sheet.
- Spread the cheesecake layer in a thin layer over the surface of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border around the edges. Give the blueberry filling a toss. Then spoon it over on top of the cheesecake layer.
- Fold the edges of the dough over the filling, overlapping the dough as necessary. Gently press the creases and corners together as you go to help seal the edges. The galette will spread out as it bakes, so it’s OK if it looks a bit small at this point.
- Transfer your baking sheet to your refrigerator to chill the galette for 15-20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees.
- When you’re ready to bake the galette, remove the baking sheet from your refrigerator. Brush the edges of the dough with the beaten egg white. Then sprinkle with the sugar. Transfer the baking sheet to your pre-heated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. The crust should be golden brown and the filling should be bubbling.
- Remove the baking sheet from your oven and place it on a wire rack to cool. Let the galette cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Leftovers can be wrapped and stored in your refrigerator for 2-3 days.
