Fresh Strawberry Galette

For the crust

1. Add the flour, butter, and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until there are no large pieces of butter remaining (small pieces are fine)
2. Slowly add in the cold water, and continue to pulse until the dough comes together. If not using right away, refrigerate the dough until ready to use.

To assemble the galette

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a circle roughly 15" in diameter. Gently move the crust to the lined baking sheet.
3. In a bowl, toss the sliced strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch. Set aside.
4. Using a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the mascarpone in a thin layer across the rolled out crust, leaving about 2" all the way around.
5. Arrange the sliced strawberries on top of the mascarpone. I started on the outside of the circle, and worked my way to the center in concentric circles, overlapping the strawberry slices a little bit.
6. Fold the edge of the crust over the filling, all the way around the galette. Brush the exposed part of the crust with a little milk or cream, and sprinkle with a little granulated sugar (optional).
7. Bake for about 40-45 minutes until the crust is golden brown, and the filling is starting to bubble.
8. While the galette is baking, make the vanilla simple syrup by combining the sugar, water, and vanilla extract in a small jar with a lid, and shaking a few times until the sugar has dissolved in the water. You can also gently heat them together on the stovetop until the sugar is dissolved.
9. Remove the galette from the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes until the juices have set up a bit. Brush lightly with the vanilla syrup (you will not need to use all of it).
10. Slice and serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.