Happy Memorial Day!

My father grew up in a country where people were afraid to speak their minds. They were even afraid of the neighbors. They never knew who might turn someone in for having an opinion against the government. Or just an unpopular opinion. He learned early on that he had to be careful what he said and to whom he spoke. Consequently, he was always amazed by the friendliness of Americans. He shushed me more than once for having the audacity to speak to a stranger, but I grew up in the United States, where I never felt the fear he knew too well.

When I see what's happening in the Middle East, I have to think of my dad and his caution. The horrid pictures of innocent people suffering unimaginable acts of cruelty remind me how much we have to be thankful for in the United States. The people who deserve our thanks for protecting our freedoms are the brave men and women of the armed forces and their families, who sacrifice so that we can live free.

We should say it every day, but especially on Memorial Day, we send our appreciation and thanks to you.

Happy Memorial Day from all of us at 

Mystery Lovers' Kitchen!

When I posted my mother's recipe for cookies made with cottage cheese, I started wondering if the same basic recipe would work in a galette. With that in mind, I bought cottage cheese and fresh berries. And then I saw Smitten Kitchen's brilliant red and blue galettes. Perfect for Memorial Day!

I switched things up, though, because while Smitten Kitchen used ricotta, I wanted to try the cottage cheese. I revisited my mom's recipe and adjusted the quantities accordingly. My version is also a step easier because I was lazy and used the food processor to make the dough. Seriously, putting in the ingredients and pulsing the dough took all of about seven minutes.

I was so impressed with the star shape that Smitten Kitchen made! Sheer genius! And really not all that hard to do. Instead of different colors, though, I mixed raspberries and blueberries. At Smitten Kitchen, they said not to worry about the juices running. So to save some of those yummy juices, I used my mother's strudel trick and crumbled up half a graham cracker over the middle where the berries would go. You don't even notice that graham cracker, but it helps keep the juices inside.

On top, I drizzled a little bit of lemon sugar icing to add the white of the stars in our flag. This is a super easy recipe. The only caveat (because I always forget!!!) is to move your dough to the baking sheet BEFORE filling it. 

Star Berry Galette

inspired by Marianne's Windmills and Smitten Kitchen's star galette

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces (1/2 cup butter)

1/2 a graham cracker sheet 

2 cups berries (raspberries and blueberries)

3 to 4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

half a lemon

pinch of salt

1 egg, whisked

coarse sugar (optional)

1/2 lemon

powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place cottage cheese, flour, salt, sugar, and COLD butter into food processor (use pastry blade if you have one) and pulse until it forms a ball. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for one hour.

Roll out the dough to about 15 inches. Trim the dough into the shape of a pentagon. Make a short slit in the middle of each of the long sides. Fold gently and MOVE DOUGH TO BAKING SHEET. Crumble the graham cracker as finely as you can over the middle of the dough.

In a bowl, mix the berries with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt. Pour the mixture in the middle of the prepared dough and spread to within 1 1/2 or 2 inches of the edge. Fold the first part of the dough (with a point) over the berries. Follow with the next point, adjusting the edges as you go so that the berries show in the shape of a star. Brush the dough with the egg. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

When the galette has cooled, whisk the lemon and powdered sugar together into a drizzling consistency and drizzle over top.

Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, or gobble it plain!

Dump the ingredients in and pulse.

So quick to make in the food processor.

 

Trim into a pentagon and make a little slit in the long sides.

 

Pour the berries in the middle and spread.

Fold the points inward so that the berries are in the shape of a star.

Make Windmills with the scraps!

Stop here, or -

Add a lemon sugar drizzle!

 

I can't believe that we're only a week and a day away from the release of 

THE DIVA STEALS A CHOCOLATE KISS!

I'm giving away a copy today. Leave a comment to enter. 

And don't forget to leave your email address so I can notify you if you win!

Good luck!