Almond galette with strawberries

For our New year's eve party I was looking for a beautiful looking dessert that was different from the usual. I found the original version of this recipe in my Martha Stewart Living magazine, April 07 issue. A galette is the French name for a crusty flat cake. I have modified the original recipe to suit the ingredients and cookware I had on hand. This may not be the best way to make this dessert (coz you know Martha knows best), but it sure was easy and tasted good. This dessert looks and tastes great. Happy new year to all of you!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups peeled and sliced almonds (store bought packet works well). No need to blanch. Just toast in a frying pan for about 5 minutes till almonds turn slightly golden.
1 16 oz package of store bought strawberries.Clean well.
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
3 egg whites
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tblsp lemon juice
4 tblsp strawberry jam
2 tablespoons Maraschino cherry juice
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Grind toasted almonds.Beat egg whites in a bowl till peaks form.Add lemon zest and beat well till egg whites look shiny. Fold in the almonds.

Coat a 6 inch round cake pan with cooking spray and then line with parchment paper. Put almond mixture into the cake pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 325 degrees with the oven door slightly ajar.Lower heat to 300 degrees and the bake for 30 minutes. Cool and remove the cake from the pan onto a serving dish. Keep covered. Using a cake pan the way I did was not the best idea because the edges are uneven. For the perfect edge use Martha's recipe.However, to me it didn't matter. I like the minor imperfections. Meanwhile heat jam in a saucepan till it thins out. Brush the jam onto the cake.

Cut about 8 strawberries in half without removing tops and leaves. Slice remaining strawberries length wise. Place the sliced strawberries in a bowl. Add cherry juice, granulated sugar, lemon juice. Mix and keep aside for a few minutes till strawberries release their juices.Place the halved strawberries around the outer ring with the tops facing out. Place the sliced strawberries inside in a pattern of your choice. Pour remaining strawberry juice onto the cake. Keep covered for an hour or two before serving.