Last weekend, Harlow and I decided to make a blueberry galette. And by “make,” I mean “bake” which is a word that doesn’t often come out of my mouth. At least in reference to an activity performed by me.
I am actually partnering with the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council to promote their Bite Size Summer which includes a list of 100 summer family activities that are simple and screen-free. For my blog post, I could have done almost anything— document Mike’s daily blueberry smoothie making routine, ask Seri to plan a blueberry inspired Project Playdate, just take some pics of some fresh blueberries and eat them straight out of a bowl, etc.
But no, I was inspired and for the first time in my life, I felt like baking.
“Harlow do you want to bake a blueberry galette with me?”
“What’s a galette?”
“It’s kind of like a pie but I hear it’s easier to pull off for people who don’t bake much.”
“Okay!”
I cross referenced a few recipes to come up with our ingredient list.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon
1/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Store bought refrigerated pie dough
1 egg whisked (to spread on pie dough edge and sprinkle with sugar)
RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS:
Step 1: Discover I don’t have all the ingredients in the house.
Step 2: Go to the supermarket to buy cornstarch, lemon and pie dough.
Step 3: Drive home. Realize I don’t have a cookie sheet either. Drive back. Buy cookie sheet. Drive home once again.
Step 4: Lay out all the ingredients.
Step 5: “HARLOW!!!!!!! COME BAKE WITH ME!!!!!”
Step 6: Fashion Harlow’s hair into what she calls “cooking hair,” otherwise known as a “ponytail”
Step 7: Wince as Harlow drags the kitchen chair across my white wood floors to the countertop.
Step 8: Instruct Harlow to mix all the ingredients for the filling (cornstarch, lemon, and sugar) into a big bowl.
Step 9: “I don’t want this bowl. I want the pink bowl.” “The pink bowl is too small.” “THAT PINK BOWL.” “That’s a red bowl.” “NO IT’S NOT! IT’S PINK!!!!” “Fine, use it.”
Step 10: Tell Harlow we need to squeeze the lemon and then laugh as she squeezes it before you are able to cut it in half.
Step 11: Watch as Harlow slowly stirs the mixture making sure to remove no cornstarch lumps whatsoever, while singing a made-up blueberry song that sounds suspiciously similar to Justin Bieber’s Love Yourself. (My momma don’t like you but she likes blueberries…”)
Step 12: After a little bit of a fight, convince Harlow to let me stir the mixture to remove the lumps.
Step 13: Oh crap! I forgot to preheat the oven to 375 degrees!!!
Step 14: Slow down to sloth-like stirring pace so oven will have proper time to pre-heat.
Step 15: Pull out store bought pie dough, unroll one piece. Never let on to Harlow that real bakers make their own dough. Nope. This is how it is done.
Step 16: Tell Harlow to pour mixture into center of pie dough.
Step 17: Watch as Harlow meticulously places one blueberry at a time.
Step 18: “Harlow, it’s much easier if you just pour the entire bowl in the center.”
Step 19: Watch as Harlow pours the mixture directly on the outskirts.
Step 20: Sop up mixture with a paper towel and carefully push ingredients over to their intended place.
Step 21: “Where are you going, Harlow????”
Step 22: Mourn loss of sous chef.
Step 23: Fold up the sides so all filling is contained in the center.
Step 24: Oh, Harlow— you’re back! Just in time to paint the edges of the galette crust with milk!
Step 25: Realize you don’t own a cooking paint brush. Is that what they are called? Probably not.
Step 26: Give Harlow a fork to use instead. Watch for five painfully slow minutes as Harlow tries her best to spread egg on the crust but drips it everywhere instead.
Step 27: Sprinkle egg puddles with sugar.
Step 28: Open oven and place inside.
Step 29: “WAAAAAAAH!!!! I WANTED TO PUT IT IN THE OVEN!!!!”
Step 30: Explain that the oven is too hot for her to put the galette in the oven herself and that she won’t be doing something like that until she is approaching 18. “Do you want me to turn on the light so you can see it bake?”
Step 31: Harlow nods yes. Light is switched on. Tantrum is diverted. Excellent.
Step 32: Let pie cook for 45-50 minutes, until the pie crust is golden brown and the middle is bubbling.
Step 33: Let cool.
Step 34: Take hundreds of pictures of Harlow showing off the end result.
Step 35: Yell for everyone to come into the kitchen and observe the beautifully rustic deliciousness that is your blueberry galette. Force them to try it even if they say they are not hungry.
Step 36: Pair with Dulce de Leche ice cream when you run out of vanilla. FYI, you will not be disappointed.
Step 37: Realize blueberry galettes have THE PERFECT crust to filling ratio, thus making them not only easier to bake than pies but much tastier too.
Step 38: Lick plate clean.
Step 39: Cut yourself an additional piece.
I predict blueberry galettes will be my new go-to dish if anyone comes over for dinner or if I am required to bring something for dinner at someone else’s house. I will be making them all summer long.
In fact, the very next day, Harlow asked if we could make another.
“Really? You want to make another blueberry galette?”
“YES!”
Sure, I’ll make another one. We were out of lemon so we used orange instead, with just a little bit less sugar. It was also delicious. Seriously— you can’t mess galettes up!
If it wasn’t for the hot stove, I really think Harlow could make one all on her own. It’s that easy.
$250 WHOLE FOODS GIVEAWAY:
Today I’m giving away a $250 gift card to Whole Foods!
To enter, you must be a Mommy Shorts subscriber. If you are not one already, you can become one here. Then visit the Bite Size Summer page and pick a blueberry-focused summer activity you would like to see me do with my kids. (You can also grab their limited edition activity poster to keep handy for inspiration.) Whichever answer gets the most entries, I’ll do for my next Bite Size Summer post!
Winner will be announced on June 20th.
Leave your answer in the comments below!
Winner update:
Congrats to Lissa R! Please contact annie@mommyshorts.com to claim your prize.
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This post was sponsored by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, but my longtime love of fresh blueberries is my own.
We had the kids plant a few blueberry bushes this year. Our nursery recommended the North Blue, and the North Country. The kids loved planting them but unfortunately they are slow growers in the first couple of years so the kids are getting frustrated. Luckily I had them plant watermelon too and those things grow like weeds.
I’d suggest making parfaits. The kids can make them all by themselves.
Let the kids build their own parfaits!
Homemade photo booth! Loved this post, I painfully related as I remember attempting a banana bread with my 2 yr old.
My daughter loves smoothies, so I would say do the build your own smoothie bar.
I love the idea of pulling out your old clothes and letting your kids put on a fashion show.
My vote goes towards a pillow and blanket fort
Um, obviously the blueberry donut one, duh! DONUTS
Mega blanket fort!
Would like to see the blueberry pizza for pizza Night
Blueberry baked donuts or blueberry cornbread! The other recipes listed are for stuff I would choose to make on my own, but these two are a little “out there”!
plant blueberry bushes in your weekend house
Making dinner with only ingredients you have at home is a wonderful idea. It’s something I’m trying to do more often with my kids, I would be very interested to see what you come up with!
My vote is for homemade ice pops!! 🙂
Built a fort and make fruit sushi rolls while you are in it! Bam!
That dessert looks sooo yummy! I love to bake! I like the build your own smoothie bar activity. I have a super picky eater!
The have a blindfolded taste taste with different fresh fruits and veggies sounds like it could be fun to do.
I like the idea for the kids to pick a movie theme night and make themed snacks! Although let’s all be honest they’d prob pick Frozen! ?
Blueberry picking!
Lots of great ideas on the list, but honestly I’d love to see you just take 20 minutes with each girl to play with their favorite toy. Sometimes simple is best. 🙂
You should try the savory blueberry pizza idea. I’d like to know how the kids take to savory berries before giving that one a try at home. Thanks for being guinea pigs! 😀
Fruit sushi.
Either the blindfolded taste test with fruits and veggies or make homemade donuts! Yum!
Book swap! With friends and reduce reuse recycle in a fun way
I’m all for blueberry Popsicles, sounds delicious and fun (read: easy) to make
Fruit sushi rolls!! Would love to find cook ways to get my kiddo to eat more fruit!
Your next activity should be the blindfold taste test of fruits and veggies!
Blueberry nachos?! YUM! I’d love to see that!
I would love to hear you try to make a savory blueberry pizza! Pizza nights are always a fun treat, and possibly a little healthier with the addition of blueberries.
I just made one tonight. I needed to test the recipe before making it with 4 year olds at camp tomorrow. It’s delicious! I may need to eat one more slice though, just to make SURE it’s good enough…
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