Pear Galette with Frangipane

This pear galette recipe is a rustic free-form pie with a buttery crust, almond frangipane filling, and juicy pears. It makes a perfect fall dessert. The taste is like a pie, with a little more crunch from the exposed pastry.

The galette dough in this recipe is this all-butter flaky pie crust. You could also use rough puff pastry or inverted puff pastry.

The pears

The best pears to use in galettes, pear pie, and tarts can hold their shape when baked without going mushy. They should be ripe pears but still slightly firm.

Pears ripen off the tree, at room temperature so it can sometimes be a bit of a race to use them before they are too ripe. Bosc pears, Anjou and Bartlett pears are all good varieties to use. The pictured pear galette is using Bosc pears.

The frangipane filling

Frangipane is a sweet and creamy almond-based filling. It is used to fill pastries, pies, and cakes and consists of almond flour, egg, sugar, and butter.

It was originally made by an Italian man by the name of Marquis Muzio Frangipani. Now it is most often associated with French cuisine.

In this recipe, a little almond extract brings out the flavor even more but if you don’t have any you can use vanilla extract instead.

The pie dough can be made well in advance and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months before you need it.

Ingredients

Find the actual ingredient amounts listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a rundown of what you will need.

The galette dough

• All-purpose flour or pastry flour
• Sugar
• Salt
• Cold butter (this can be salted or unsalted. If using salted butter you can reduce the added salt in the recipe)
• Ice cold water
• Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice – A little acid in the pastry helps to stop the gluten from developing and keeps the pastry extra tender and flaky.

The frangipane

• Softened butter
• Almond flour
• Egg
• Granulated sugar
• Salt
• Almond extract (or use vanilla extract)

Equipment

Food processor (optional) – A food processor speeds up the pastry making but it can also be made by hand.

Immersion blender, or electric beaters– to blend the frangipane.

Method

Pastry

Chop the butter into small cubes. Add the cubes to a bowl and place them in the fridge or freezer for 10 minutes to ensure it’s cold.

To a large mixing bowl or a food processor add the flour, sugar, and salt and mix them together. Add the cold butter cubes to the flour.

Use a pastry cutter, your fingertips, or a food processor to cut the butter into small pieces into the flour. The end result should be like coarse bread crumbs with a few pieces the size of peas. If the butter is melting at any point, place the bowl in the refrigerator.

Pour the lemon juice or vinegar over the dough and some of the ice water. Drizzle it in slowly, about a tablespoon worth at a time. Note – the pictures below are of a double pie crust recipe.

Next, use a spatula, your hands, or pulse the food processor to combine the dough and add in as much chilled water as needed. Add any extra water in slowly, a tablespoon at a time. If the dough is crumbly, add a bit more water. It should not be sticky.

If the butter has softened or the dough is warm, place it in the fridge for 30 minutes before continuing with the next step.

Laminating

On a lightly floured work surface, using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rough 10inch/25cm rectangle. There’s no need to measure it perfectly, just lengthen it to around 10 inches.

Fold the bottom ⅓ of the dough up to the middle, then fold the top ⅓ of the dough over top to make a pamphlet shape. Turn the dough a quarter turn and repeat this process once more.

Once finished rolling, use your cupped hands to gently shape the dough into a round disc.

Wrap the dough up tightly using a piece of plastic wrap or beeswax wrap. Chill it in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or freeze for up to 3 months.

The filling

Core and use a mandoline or sharp knife to slice the pears into thin slices around 1/4-1/8 inch thick. Sprinkle a little lemon juice over the pears to stop them from browning.

Shaping

On a sheet of parchment paper, roll the cold dough out into a 13-inch (33cm) circle. It can be a rustic circle, don’t worry about uneven edges. With a rustic galette, there’s no need for perfection.

Spread the frangipane out, leaving a 2-inch border (4-5 cm.) Arrange the pears over top of the frangipane. For a rustic look, the pears can be arranged in any old way. For a more refined look, place pears in concentric circles or small sections.

Fold the edge of the dough over the filling, going around the edge of the circle. Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the dough with egg wash. Sprinkle with a little turbinado sugar.

Transfer the galette to a plate or tray and refrigerate while the oven is preheated.

Baking

Preheat the oven to 425°F/ 220°C.

Serving and storing

Serve the galette warm or cold, with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

The leftover galette can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. The thawed galette can be warmed in a low-temperature oven.

Make ahead – Make the pastry dough and the frangipane up to 3 days ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator. Freeze unbaked pastry dough for up to three months. 

Try this apple galette with puff pastry next!