Kids' Corner

Desserts

Plum Galette

For the dough:
3 tbsp. cream cheese
1/3 cup ice-cold water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cinnamon stick, coarsely ground in coffee grinder, or 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
6 tbsp. cold butter, cut into small pieces

For the filling:
1/2 lb. Italian plums, pitted and quartered
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 cinnamon sticks, each cut in 2 pieces
1 tbsp. red wine
2 whole cloves

To make the dough:

Blend cream cheese and water in a small bowl with a fork and set aside. In a large bowl, use a fork to mix the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Drop the butter pieces into the flour mixture, tossing just enough to coat them. Then work the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or large fork. Sprinkle the cream cheese mixture over the dough 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing gently with a fork. Press dough with hands just enough to form a ball. (Dough should be moist enough to stick together. If it is not, add additional ice water.) Refrigerate dough for 15 minutes.

Divide the dough into 4 equal balls and quickly roll each into a 6-inch circle. (The less you handle the dough, the flakier your cooked pastry will be.) Place dough on a sheet lined with wax paper, and chill for 2 hours.

To make the filling:

Mix plums with sugar, cinnamon, red wine and cloves, and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove cloves and divide the filling into 4 equal portions with 1 cinnamon stick each.

To finish:
1 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 tsp. granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide the filling among the 4 discs and overlap dough edges to make a nest. Dot each with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Place in refrigerator for another 30 minutes, then bake galettes for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on racks. Serve warm, topped with ice cream if you like.