The quickest of check-ins to share this giant pop-tart (galette if you’re fancy!) that I recently made for an 8-year-old’s birthday party. I used recipes in Camilla Wynne’s brilliant book, Jam Bakes. But essentially I rolled out two disks of galette pastry to about the size of a half-sheet pan (12×15?) and put them in the fridge to chill. Using parchment paper, I made a template of a giant “8” that used as much of the surface of the dough as possible. Cut each sheet of dough into an “8” using the template. I then put one of the two “8”s on a parchment-lined baking sheet and piped the filling onto dough leaving a 1-inch border along all of the edges of the dough. For the filling I used both vanilla custard (thick set- about 2 cups?) and a rhubarb and Amarena cherry jam that I had made (about a cup?). I then brushed the exposed edges of dough with water and very carefully placed the second “8” on top, carefully and gently bringing the edges together to seal. I used a fork to press the edges closed in a decorative pattern, and used a paring knife to cut some ventilation holes into the top of the dough. But here is the best part! I then put the entire thing into the freezer. And left it there for a week! (once it is frozen, wrap it well to protect it!) The morning of the party, I baked from frozen (I baked at 425°F for about 45 minutes, or until golden and you can see jam bubbling through vents). It takes about 2 hours to cool enough to glaze, so keep that in mind when planning the day. And then I made a glaze using the syrup from a jar of Amarena cherries, heavy cream, and confectioners sugar. I added a couple of drops of food coloring to make the pink brighter. Anyway, I loved it. The 8-year-old loved it! Would work with any number but you may get fewer servings with other numbers since the “8” really maximizes surface area. I think I managed to carve about 25 small servings out of this beauty.

That’s all! Hope you’re having a good summer.