There isn’t a rule that says dessert has to be hard and complicated to make in order to be knock-your-socks off great. You want to do more? Make two.
To really do it up and put an extra treat on the plate– while making it look beautiful– accompany each slice of galette with a slice of roasted pear. Pass a bowl of slightly sweetened whipped cream or (even better!) whipped crème fraiche. Instructions for the roasted pear and whipped crème fraiche are below.
Balsamic Brown Sugar Caramelized Pear Galette
You needn’t peel the pears; it looks a little more elegant if you do, and more rustic with the skins on.
1 refrigerated pie dough crust, about 7 ounces (I use Pillsbury, which come two crusts to a box)
2 pounds Bartlett pears, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 lightly beaten egg
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet pan with cooking spray.
2. Working on a lightly floured surface, roll the crust out to a 14-inch circle; transfer to the sheet pan. (It is alright if the dough hangs over the edges.)
3. Toss the pears with the balsamic, brown sugar and flour. Arrange them artfully on the dough, leaving the outer 2-inch perimeter clear. Fold this edge in toward the center, gently pleating it as you go. Brush the dough with the egg.
4. Bake 10 minutes, rotate the pan and bake until the crust is golden and the pears are fork tender, about another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before cutting into wedges.
Makes 8 servings
Nutritional analysis for each serving: 255 calories, 2 g protein, 50 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 140 mg sodium
Roasted Pear Slices
Cut two 1/4-inch thick slices out of the center of each pear; one slice should include the stem. (Just because it is pretty with the stem.) Place slices on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and brush with butter. Place in a preheated, 425 F oven turning once after 8 minutes, and cook until golden and tender, a total of about 16-17 minutes. Note: Buy one extra pear (6instead of 5) for the galette above. After you remove the center slices from each of the six pears, slice the remaining fruit for the galette.
Whipped Crème Fraiche
16 ounces crème fraiche
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
Whisk crème fraiche and vanilla with an electric beater until it holds peaks, about 4 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar if desired; rewhip just to incorporate and refrigerate until serving.
Do you need to use an aged balsamic?
Also when folding the edges of the dough over is that over the pears at the end?
Thanks can’t wait to try this.
FJB
You do not need to (and really shouldn’t) use a well-aged balsamic. I would save that for drizzling over something– anything!– at the end of cooking. It is a lot like olive oil: you save the really good extra virgin olive oil for the finishing touches, or for someplace where the flavor will really stand out. If you were drizzling this over the galette at the end as a sauce, I would use a great, aged balsamic.
If I understand your second question correctly: yes, the dough is folded directly over the pears at the out edge of the circle.
I had this and it rocked