Cherry-Cheese Galette and Cherished Memories

My mom, hands down is one of the most great pie makers out there.  In fact everyone I know in Alaska (excluding me) knows how to make great pies.  My friends Felicia and Toni are incredible bakers and can whip out any kind of pie out there.  I never picked up the knack for it, and through the years have take the "semi-homemade" approach when it comes to pies.

My fondest memory of my mom making pies is the leftover pie dough.  She would gather all the extra dough pieces, let nothing ever go to waste and put them together in a little crust dessert for me.  My mom would shape it like a calzone, fill it with butter and sprinkled it all over with her special cinnamon/sugar blend.  She would bake it off and I couldn't wait to eat it.  Did your mom or grandma ever make this? 

This dessert (which my husband is now debating with and telling me that it should be served as a breakfast pastry) brings the warmth and goodness of my mom's cherry pie and blends it with my favorite...cheesecake.  So, whether you have it with breakfast or as a dessert, I hope you enjoy the comfort that it gives me.

Cherry-Cheese Galette

(1) refrigerated ready-made pie crust (like Pillsbury)

1/2 can cherry pie filling

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature

1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

pinch of grated nutmeg

Cinnamon/Sugar Blend

1 part - cinnamon

3 part - granulated sugar

(Put both ingredients in a resealable container, like Tupperware and shake well, until completely mixed). You will have leftover blend, depending on your proportions.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. 

To make the filling, whisk the cream cheese, lemon juice, sugar and nutmeg in a bowl.  Set aside.

Roll out the pie crust on the parchment paper into a 12-inch round. 

 Spread 3/4 of the cream cheese filling over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border.

Top with the cherry pie filling.  

Fold the edge of the dough over the filling.

Drizzle the remaining cream cheese filling over the cherries.

Sprinkle about 2 Tablespoons of the cinnamon/sugar mixture, 

all over the crust, cherries and cream cheese topping.

Put an inverted baking sheet in the lower third of the oven.  Put the baking sheet with the galette directly on the hot baking sheet in the oven.  Bake until the crust is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve slightly warm.

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