Pear & frangipane galette
Makes 1 x 9” galette
The classic flavors of pear and frangipane are presented beautifully and easily in a Freeform galette (my favorite way to make a tart) with a buttery crust ensconcing juicy fruit and a rich almond filling.
Note: I needed a quick sweet treat one day so I used a single recipe of pie crust I had, some leftover frangipane & good quality jarred pears. Dessert was ready in an hour!
Ingredients:
1 recipe basic pie dough divided in 2, or use all the recipe for 2 x 9” galettes or one very large 14” galette
1/2- 3/4 cup almond cream recipe
4-5 fresh pears, firm, peeled (if desired) and fanned or cut thinly. Dip in water with a squeeze of lemon juice to prevent browning while cutting the rest. Or, 2 cups canned fruit.
1/2 cup sliced almonds for top (optional)
Sugar for sprinkling on top
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425° if planning to bake once prepped. Place the dough on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper on your counter. The parchment paper will make it easier to transfer the dough to a baking sheet. Sprinkle a little more flour on top of your dough and on your rolling pin. Roll the dough out to a 12”-13” circle . It doesn’t have to be perfect.
Spread the frangipane in roughly an 9” circle.using a spoon or spatula.
Gently fan out your pears and place them on top of the frangipane. Start with 6 pear-half fans (three pears).
Use the last 2 pear fan halves and break them apart to fill in the smaller gaps between full halves, until the entire circle is covered.
Fold the edges of your dough over the filling, kind of overlapping as you go around. Brush the exposed crust with water or milk and sprinkle with raw or granulated sugar.
Galette can be baked at this stage or frozen for up to 3 months or more.
Bake at 425° for 40-50 minutes, or until crust is golden brown & frangipane is puffy. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
NOTES
Optional: Warm up a couple of tablespoons of honey or agave and brush it gently over the tops of the pears, giving them a beautiful shiny appearance
Galettes are great! The moisture from the filling will evaporate more quickly, with the opening, ensuring a crispy, not soggy, bottom to your galette.
Pear frangipane is by no means the only thing you can place in a galette crust. Try apple, peaches or mixed berries. I even used frozen mixed fruit, defrosted and drained very well and a sprinkle of almond meal over the frangipane to absorb any moisture.
Peach - A great late Summer galette that can be made year round with frozen
Substitute 2 cups of mixed berries for the pears, and just before adding to the galette toss them with 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, and a squeeze of lemon.
Puff pastry tart - You can also use my flaky rough puff recipe for this Pear Frangipane Galette.