Years ago, I fell in love with the galette (a.k.a. “free-form tart”) recipes in Chez Panisse Fruit. Now every summer I make a big batch of “moon dust” (a crushed-cookie mixture that absorbs the fruit juices of the tart) to store in the fridge, then dip into it throughout the fruit season to make rhubarb, apricot, and plum tarts. And when I make tart dough, I double the recipe, then store the extra disks in the freezer. With cookie dust and dough already made, it’s easy to whip out a galette for dessert (or breakfast). I especially like this rhubarb galette with strawberry ice cream.

Steps

1. Prep the dough: Roll out the galette dough into a 14-inch circle, then place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat mat. Place this in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the galette.
2. Make the cookie dust: Stir together all the cookie-dust ingredients in a small bowl. (You’ll only need ¼ cup of this for a single tart; store the excess in a large sealed jar in the fridge.)
3. Prep the filling: Toss the sliced rhubarb with the sugar, flour, and orange zest in a medium-large bowl.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
5. Assemble the galette: Remove the tart dough from the fridge and sprinkle ¼ cup of the cookie dust onto the dough, leaving a 1½-inch border free. Place the rhubarb mixture over the cookie dust, spreading the fruit out, leaving the border free around the entire galette.
6. With clean hands, fold the border of tart dough over the fruit, crimping the folds as you go. Make sure the folds of the dough are sealed; any weak points (thin dough, not enough dough around the edge) could allow fruit juices to escape (and burn) while cooking.
7. Bake the galette: Place the tart in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking. The tart is done when the juices are bubbly and the crust is golden. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes.
8. Serve the galette: Cut into triangles and serve warm, with strawberry ice cream if you like.