Truly my most favourite things to bake are of the pastry or dough form. Pies, cinnamon buns, galettes, etc. just seem to work out the best in the baking department for me. Sometimes cakes can be hit and miss, they are such a touchy one; not rising properly, can come out gummy, they sink in the middle. I think mainly my cake disasters come from me experimenting too much with different flours, sweeteners and liquids. Cakes like to be very precise with their measurements and are quite picky on how all of the ingredients blend together to form that perfect fluffy, soft, moist end cake result. And because I don’t like to use regular sugar and instead use maple syrup or honey, both liquids, can make perfecting that cake batter a little harder. I am in the midst of putting together a tips page on my blog with the best outcomes for the above if you like to bake the same way as me or are curious on how to make it work out the best (coming soonish).

If you saw my last cake post {a vanilla cake with a strawberry/rhubarb buttercream, it is pretty to die for} you will have seen that I branched out a little with my natural sweetener and used coconut sugar which was hugely successful so I think I might start to use that more often when it comes to cake, muffins and loaves. It is still more processed than maple syrup, dates or honey but less than brown or white. We can call it a happy medium!

It is my mission this fall/winter to try some out of the box kind of pastry/dough baking, think croissants, éclairs, sausage rolls, gnocchi, homemade pasta (side note I have made pasta in the past but it has just not turned out as I would like but I am going to a pasta making cooking class in early September to learn all the tips and tricks to soft, creamy, luscious fresh pasta so stay tuned for that). And although those are not totally out of the box things, I suppose I just mean some of the harder less approachable baking items that we don’t usually make ourselves on a regular basis.

I want to make them seem more approachable even though they may not be. I mean this when I say it if I can bake something on my blog so can you! I am much better at the savoury kind of cooking, when it all comes down to it I don't actually like recipes (shocking I know seeing as it is my job to make them for you), but I much prefer to improvise when I am in the kitchen throwing a little of this and a little of that into the mix which is super easy to do with savoury but baking doesn't quite like the improve. Really my hope is that when it comes to one of my savoury dishes you are improvising as well, none of my recipes are to be taken too seriously (except maybe the baking ones, because baking, that picky bitch) make them your own, add a touch of this or a touch of that.

I have quite the addiction to spelt flour and have for a little while now. Here are a few spelt flour recipes on my blog:

Spiced Spelt Walnut Carrot Cake with Coconut Milk Honey Caramel Drizzle

Vanilla Yogurt + Roasted Strawberry Spelt Muffins

Maple Sweetened, Dark Chocolate + Pecan Spelt Banana Bread

Pecan, Date Paste Spelt Cinnamon Buns + Maple Cream Cheese Icing

I love the nutty flavour it brings baked goods without having to add nuts (especially good for those friends or family that are allergic to nuts). It is high in vitamins and minerals, fatty and amino acids. Spelt flour also contains a higher amount of fiber which makes it easier for our tummies to digest. It is also extremely high in protein making it easier for our bodies to burn the carbs that are in it instead of holding them as fat in our bodies.

It has also been shown to aid in managing diabetes, improve bone health, stimulate immune system, boost blood circulation and energy levels in the body, lower cholesterol and can be beneficial for growth development of new tissues, muscles and organs. There is a great article on the benefits of spelt flour here.

Now of course it is still flour that contains gluten, so if you are celiac it is a word of caution and just like regular flour it is full of carbs and should be ingested in moderation. But no one can live without indulging in the bad every so often and a fruit galette made with spelt flour is a pretty good compromise.

Peaches are by far my favourite stone fruit and raspberries are my favourite berry, put them together and you have the ultimate stone fruit and berry combination in my mind. The sweetness of the peach and the tartness of the raspberry play off each other so well, I believe they were meant to be together, always.

This galette comes together in less than an hour (most of that time is spent letting the pastry set) and it looks beautiful. Your guests or even you hubby will think you spent hours slaving away at dessert but it was a pinch, don't tell them that though ;)

summer stone fruit raspberry & peach spelt flour galette

pastry

1 1/2 cups spelt flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup chilled butter

5-7 tbsp of cool water

Peach & Raspberry filling

2 cups fresh raspberries

2 peaches

1/4 cup honey

1 tbsp vanilla

juice of one lemon

5 tsp cornstarch

1 egg

1 tbsp of coconut sugar

directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

pastry

whisk together the dry ingredients, set aside.

it is best to use chilled (frozen) butter. on the largest hole of a cheese grater, grate the butter into the flour mixture. mix lightly with a spoon every few heaping grates. add in the ice water in small increments, stirring until all the water is added. knead the dough until just combined and then pour out onto the counter. you can add more water by the tablespoon if the mixture is still dry.

kneading again on the counter until the pastry holds together, form into one ball.

Wrap the pastry ball in saran wrap and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

peach & raspberry filling

First slice the peaches. In a small bowl lightly mix together the sliced peaches, raspberries, honey, cornstarch, vanilla, lemon juice and place in the fridge until ready to use.

to assemble

Once the pastry has set in the fridge, flour a flat clean surface. Coat your rolling pin in a little extra flour, place the ball of dough in the middle of the floured surface and roll it evenly from the center to the edge, until the dough is about 1/8 inch thick. Place the rolled out dough on the parchment lined baking sheet (best done by folding the rolled dough once in half and then again and unfolding once on the parchment).

Pour the peach and raspberry mixture into the middle of the pastry, leaving about a 2-3 inch border of pastry.

Fold the sides of the galette over the fruit, covering the mixture by one inch. Wash the top of the pastry with a pre whisked egg and sprinkle the pastry with a the coconut sugar (any sugar will work here).

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the fruit is starting to bubble. Cool for 5 minutes on the pan and then move the galette to a cooling rack.