Fresh Pear and Almond Galette
A delicious, rustic pie filled with sliced pears, nuggets of almond paste, and French
country charm. Sit outside after dinner on a crisp autumn day with this dessert, warmed
with whipped cream...try the cider sauce recipe below if you like, to drizzle over the
galette.
Almond Paste:
1 c. almonds: try blanched almonds for a pale paste, toasted for a nutty brown
color
1 tsp. almond extract
4 tbsp. maple syrup or honey
Combine in food processor until a smooth paste is formed. Add a drop or two of water if
needed for a thinner consistency.
Crust:
1 sheet prepared puff pastry (thawed)
Roll out into a large circle 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface, fold into quarters and
set on sheet pan. Unfold and lay flat. Preheat oven to 400.
Filling:
1 1/2 lb. fresh ripe pears, thinly sliced ( I like to leave the peels on)
1 recipe almond paste (see above recipe) or use purchased
1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 c. sugar, turbinado is nice
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tbsp. margarine or butter, melted
Put half of the sliced pears in a bowl and toss with crumbled almond paste, vanilla, 4 tsp.
of the sugar and the cinnamon. Finely chop remaining pears, then toss with 4 tsp. sugar.
Mound them into the center of the dough, forming a 7 inch circle, and arrange the sliced
pears over the top, tucking in any “sharp” pear ends. Add juice from the bowl. Fold the
edges of the dough over the fruit, pleating it as you go, partially covering the pears.
Brush with melted margarine and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Pour any extra margarine
over the pears. Bake until the crust is nicely glazed and fruit is tender, about 25 minutes.
Cover pears with a small piece of foil if they begin browning too much during the baking
time.
Cider Sauce –to try with Galette---yum YUM!
Reduce 1 quart of quality cider and a cinnamon stick over medium to medium high heat to
about 2 cups, and it has thickened considerably. Whisk in 1 or 2 tbsp. margarine if you’d
like, keep warm to drizzle over whipped cream and galette slices.