Pear Galettes
Dough:
2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
8 ounces cold, unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup cold water
Filling:
4 firm, but ripe, Bosc pears, peeled, quartered, cored, and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices.
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/4 cup honey, mixed with 2 tablespoons warm water
Garnish: Crème fraîche
For the Dough:
• Cut the butter into 1/4-inch cubes. Combine the flour, sugar and salt together. By hand or in a food processor, cut the butter cubes into the flour until the mixture is crumbly and the pieces are pea-sized. Sprinkle the water evenly over the mixture and mix until dough just pulls together.
• Pat the mixture into a flattened ball; wrap in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
• To make one large galette: on a lightly-floured surface, roll out the dough from the center to 1/4-inch from edge. Lift and turn 1/4 until desired size is reached, approximately 8 – 10-inch in diameter.
• To make six individual galettes, divide the dough into 6 equal portions. On a lightly-floured surface, roll out each dough ball not a 5 – 6-inch diameter round.
For the Filling:
• Toss sliced pears with lemon juice, 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon.
• Place each prepared dough circle on a parchment lined baking sheet. Arrange pear slices in a circular mound leaving a 1-inch border of dough. Fold the dough border up around filling, pleating dough to fit snugly around pears.
• Refrigerate for 15 minutes while the oven is preheated to 350°F. Place galettes on the center rack and bake until pale golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove galettes from oven, brush crusts lightly with beaten egg whites and brush with the honey glaze. Return galettes to oven and bake until crusts are deep golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 15 – 20 minutes.
• Remove galettes from the oven and brush with remaining honey glaze. Serve warm with a dollop of crème fraîche.
Makes 6
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