Speedy Hot Dessert - Nectarine and Blueberry Galette

I am in love with Nigella Lawson.

I was browsing through one of her many cookbooks last night, Nigella Express, (am I the only one who reads cookbooks for fun?) and I came across this dessert recipe that I already had the majority of the ingredients for, so I thought I'd try it.

This is for all of you who think a hot dessert as well as a main course is beyond you!

Nectarine and Blueberry Galette

Nigella describes a Galette as ...a fancy way of saying "This is a pie, but don't get your hopes up." I would say do get your hopes up, for it is simple and tasty as any pie, served as is or with vanilla ice cream.

1 sheet of store bought all-butter puff pastry
1 1/2 tablespoons apricot jelly
1 1/2 tablespoon whipping cream
1 small nectarine, cut into 12 segments
2/3 cup of blueberries
1 1/2 teaspoons light brown sugar


(Yes I know the pic shows 2 nectarines, I thought I'd need both, but I was mistaken)

The puff pastry will be in the frozen food section - I normally buy Pepperidge Farm.

Buy this the day before. Take it out of the package and separate the two pieces. Wrap them both in saran wrap and put one in the fridge to defrost and the other in the freezer for later use.

1. Put the oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 450F

2. Unfold and lay the puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment or a silpat (I love my silpat). Using a sharp knife score a frame around the edge of the pastry about 3/4 inch in.

3. In a small bowl mix together the apricot jelly and cream and then paint or spread this onto the pastry within the frame.

3. Arrange the fruit on top and sprinkle with with the brown sugar before baking in the oven for 10-15 minutes (keep an eye on it after 10, and when the pastry is nice and brown take it out!)

The only tricky stages are a) Scoring the square so that you cut the top layer of the pastry without cutting all the way through, not that it would be a disaster if you do, and b) Slicing the nectarine. The riper the nectarine the easier that will be - see the instructions here.

I must confess I rather hacked my nectarine to pieces as it wasn't really ripe enough, but once it's all cooked you can't tell the difference!

Absolutely delicious!!!

One other thing, if you are using a silpat, make sure you slide it off onto a board before cutting it. You don't want to cut on the silpat because if you do it will stop working!