The funniest thing happened the other day: I was positively craving a strawberry galette even though I’ve never made nor ever EATEN a strawberry galette before. It just sounded like the perfect, lazy summer day dessert.

This was just so simple to do. I can’t believe I’ve wasted this much time not eating galettes. I love how casually elegant they look. Oh hey, just over here being fabulous like it’s no big deal. This would be the perfect dessert after noshing on a mixed grill of sausage, veggies, fish, etc. It’s not too heavy and it screams summer.

I have a confession. I’ve never been a huge fan of pie crust. On a whim, I decided to add vanilla bean to this very basic galette crust and it was incredible. I really don’t know why this isn’t a thing. Let’s make it a thing, shall we? Be prepared for all future crusts at The Rose Table to have vanilla bean. I mean, just look how gorgeous it looks. I loved it so much, I took a video for you:

Strawberry Galette with Vanilla Bean Crust and Fiori di Sicilia Whipped Cream
Serves 4.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 cup of sugar
1 vanilla bean
A dash of salt
1 stick unsalted Irish butter
2 Tbsp cold water 
1 1/2 cups (ish) strawberries 

1. Combine flour, sugar, seeds from one vanilla bean, and a dash of salt in a small, sturdy bowl. Use a pastry blender or fork to cut in one stick of good Irish butter. Add a couple tablespoons of cold water until the mixture forms a pie dough. (You may need to add another tablespoon of water.) Chill dough for one hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Rinse, dry, hull, and quarter strawberries.
4. Roll out vanilla bean dough and transfer to a cookie sheet. Fill with a heaping pile of strawberries, leaving a few inches around the edge. (See below.) Fold the edges in to form a rustic bowl for the strawberries. Make sure you pinch the folds of the dough so the juice from the berries doesn’t seep out while it’s in the oven!
5. Sprinkle a bit of sugar over the galette and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Serve with freshly whipped cream or ice cream.

As if that isn’t beautiful enough, freshly whipped cream ups the wow factor of this already phenomenal dessert.

Fiori di Sicilia Whipped cream
1 cup cold whipping cream
4 Tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp Fiori di Sicilia 

1. Chill a metal bowl and whisk in the fridge while making your galette.
2. Beat one cup of cold whipping cream in the chilled bowl using a chilled whisk. (You may of course use an electric beater but I prefer soft, pillowy peaks and I love the workout.)
3. When the cream has thickened but isn’t quite whipped cream, add the powdered sugar and fiori di sicilia. (If you don’t have the latter, use 1 tsp vanilla extract.) Continue to beat with the whisk until soft peaks form.