Really Simple Cherry Galette | and Yelling on Top of a Mountain

Apparently I'm terrible at managing stress. I don't freak out at people, or get ticked off easily and I'm wondering if I internalize things too often. I speak my feelings always, but I never really yell you know? Like really yell, because I hate getting angry.You know those scenes in movies where they're on top of a building or mountain or maybe hanging out of a car - hair back, arms free -  and they just yell? Maybe it's a happy yell or a frustrated yell, but I've never done that. I'm thinking maybe I should. Maybe it would relieve some stress?Do I sound like a psycho?Just when my large bald spot was growing back in (which I blamed on post-pregnancy hormones and stress), I found another one. It's small. And I pray that it stays that way, but it was another big wake up call that I internalize stress too much and need a reality check.We were just hit with some more news that's a bit ("a bit" is an understatement) stressful. Everyone is healthy and fine (thank heavens) but I've lost even more sleep than usual lately and can literally feel my heart pound out of my chest when I go to sleep because I'm AMAZING at thinking of all the things I'm worried about when my head hits the pillow. (Do you struggle with this?) I've forced myself to do yoga more often (but not daily because #life). I DO go on really long walks every day and listen to uplifting stuff while I walk and have no screen time before bed - all things that I think have helped a bit.Wait, do I sound like a mess?One big thing I've been trying to do too is limit foods that can inflame the body. Because when we're super stressed apparently the body is all inflamed inside (I picture it swollen like a bee sting), so things like sugar and gluten throw us off and make our body even more inflamed inside. Which is totally NBD, because you know I ONLY HAVE A BAKING BLOG I love to pour my heart and soul into so not using sugar and gluten is like TOTALLY EASY. This inflammation is totally linked to stress, and stress is totally linked to bald spots. (crying emoji)   Disclaimer: This recipe has both gluten and sugar. Again two things of which I am trying to slow down on a bit... but in my defense, I made this galette before the discovery of my new bald spot. (I talk about my first one here.)I have been experimenting more and more with gluten free things too, which is sometimes hard to get right the first time because it's such a fun (and annoying) mix of flours and things, but I'm up for the challenge. So, expect more and more gluten free stuff on here. I still gotta perfect my gluten free galette. (Pssst, here's my favorite homemade, gluten free flour mix that you can use for a lot of baked goods.)Oh, John and I have talked about meditating and we've been looking into the apps headspace and heartmath to help us balance it all out. No reporting yet on these guys but stay tuned.What do you do to handle stress because apparently I suck. Do you bake? Do other things? Wait, please keep it PG. I have a vivid imagination.Anyway, I'm all ears. And apparently stress.Brb gonna go climb a mountain and yell. Ugh, someone please come take me away to Hawaii. This is all so embarrassing.Love you friends. xo

Simple Cherry Galette

In the cookbook: Haven’s Kitchen Cooking School it says a galette is the French word for meaning “pastry for the non-baker”. This made me chuckle a little because I feel like I’ve actually had a hard time getting a cherry galette just right…I kept telling myself trial bake after trial bake, that this was supposed to be easy. It's a galette! Good news is, I think I nailed it when I realized I was over thinking it. This dessert is as uncomplicated as it gets - I guess you can add a bit of cornstarch as a thickener, or jam, but really, I find that the magic is in the unadulterated cherry juice that bursts out after each pocket-of-crust-bite. The crust is sturdy enough to handle all that juice too. This one lives up to it's title, it's really easy but still magically good.

• ½ recipe of brisee dough  (or you can just make the whole recipe and freeze the other half for a fast and delicious brisee on the fly)
• 3 ½ to 4 cups dark sweet cherries ( pitted)
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar ( packed)
• 1 egg ( beaten)
• raw turbinado sugar for sprinkling  (I would say optional here, but to me, it’s simply not a galette without the raw sugar sprinkle)
• whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream to serve

1. Preheat oven to 375° F / 190° C and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Wash, de-stem and de-pit the cherries, but still leave them whole. (I got a cherry pitter from Sur La Table, it wasn’t very much and it's such a life saver.)
3. Mix whole cherries and brown sugar together in a large bowl. Set aside.
4. Roll out brisee dough into a 12” circle using a bit of flour and a rolling pin. Place rolled dough on a the parchment lined cookie sheet.
5. Pour cherries in the middle of the dough, leaving about a 2-3 inch border. Fold the dough over the cherries, leaving a “window” or opening where the cherries still show. (See pictures as a reference.) 
6. With a pastry brush, brush the exposed crust with the egg and then sprinkle liberally with the raw sugar.
7. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Wait about 15-30 minutes before cutting into it if you can, if not, just be aware that the filling and juice is hot - which makes for a delicious pooling puddle of vanilla bean ice cream around it if that’s your thing.