Honey Pear Galette

Pears are one of my favorite fruits. I know, I say that with just about every fruit I mention. There are some I don't care for: cantaloupe, papaya, persimmon. Maybe I just haven't given them a chance. But pears, they are a fall favorite. My love of pears is evidenced by Exhibit A, below.


Pears seem to take a backseat to apples. With pears, you know exactly when they're ripe. In fact, there's about a two day window to eat a ripe pear. I actually like them just before they ripen - when they're sweet but still a little firm. When they're at this stage, they're perfect for this recipe.


A galette is a free form pie that doesn't use a plate. I like to think of it as a lazy man's pie. Most of the time when I ruin a crust, it is because it fell apart when transferring to the pie plate. This problem is eliminated with a galette, so my success rate for it is much higher.


I combined two different recipes to make this - the custard comes from White on Rice, and the honey comes from Dessert For Breakfast. The uniform pear slices made an attractive center. When the galette baked the pears got really watery and the custard looked like it might break down, but everything set when the galette cooled. Next time I may drizzle the honey on after the galette bakes.

Did I mention that there's a giveaway going on?



Honey Pear Galette
adapted from White On Rice and Dessert for Breakfast


Pastry Cream:
1 c whole milk
2 Tbs cornstarch
4 Tbs sugar
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 egg
¼ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp cinnamon

1 single layer pastry crust

Pear Filling:
4 ripe pears, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Tbs all purpose flour
Pinch of salt
2 Tbs honey

Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 Tbs water)


For the pastry cream: Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Mix cornstarch, sugar, and sea salt, and egg in a small bowl. Once milk begins to boil, remove from heat. Slowly pour 1/3 c of the hot milk into the cornstarch mixture, whisking constantly. Pour that back into the saucepan with the remaining milk, also whisking to combine. Place saucepan over medium heat and cook until the mixture thickens, whisking constantly (about 2 minutes.) Pour pastry cream into a heatproof bowl and let chill while you prep the pears.

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Roll pastry crust into a 12-inch circle. Transfer crust to a baking sheet. Spread pastry cream in the center, leaving approximately a 2-inch border. Arrange the pear slices on top of the pastry cream. Sprinkle with the flour and salt. Fold edges of the crust over the pears. Lightly brush the surface of the crust with the egg wash. Bake until the crust is golden, about 30-40 minutes. Place on a cooling rack and drizzle exposed pears with honey. Cool before serving.