The galette has a nutty brown-butter aroma and a crisp, flaky crust. Soft, caramelized pear slices meld with warm cardamom-scented sugar. Textures shift from tender fruit to slightly chewy, golden edges. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche for dessert or a cozy brunch.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour (2 1/4 cups / 280 g)
- Granulated sugar (2 tbsp) plus 2 tbsp for filling
- Ground cardamom (1 tsp)
- Salt (1/2 tsp)
- Unsalted butter, cold and cubed (8 tbsp / 115 g)
- Unsalted butter, for browning (4 tbsp / 55 g)
- Ice water (4–6 tbsp)
- Pears, ripe but firm, peeled, cored, and sliced (3 medium)
- Lemon juice (1 tbsp)
- Cornstarch (1 tbsp)
- Vanilla extract (1 tsp)
- Large egg (1, beaten for egg wash)
- Coarse sugar or turbinado (1 tbsp, for sprinkling)
- Optional: vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche, for serving
Instructions
- Make brown butter: in a light-colored skillet melt 4 tbsp butter over medium heat, swirling until solids turn golden brown and smell nutty; remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- Prepare dough: whisk flour, 2 tbsp sugar, cardamom, and salt in a bowl. Cut cold cubed butter into the flour until pea-sized crumbs form (use a pastry cutter or fingertips).
- Stir 2 tbsp of the cooled brown butter into the flour mixture, then add ice water 1 tbsp at a time until dough holds when pressed. Form into a disk, wrap, and chill at least 30 minutes.
- Prepare filling: toss pear slices with lemon juice, 2 tbsp sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla in a bowl until evenly coated.
- Assemble galette: preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). On a lightly floured surface roll chilled dough into a roughly 12-inch circle. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Arrange pear slices in the center, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the dough edge up and over the fruit, pleating as needed to enclose the filling partially.
- Brush the crust with beaten egg and sprinkle coarse sugar and a light dusting of cardamom over the pears. Dot remaining small bits of cold butter (if desired) over the fruit for extra richness.
- Bake for 35–45 minutes until crust is deep golden and juices are bubbling; rotate halfway for even browning. If edges brown too quickly, tent lightly with foil.
- Cool on the baking sheet 10–15 minutes to set the filling, then transfer to a wire rack or serve warm directly with vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche.
Tips or Variations
- Use a mix of pear varieties (Bosc + Bartlett) for balanced texture and sweetness.
- Swap cardamom for a pinch of cinnamon and add toasted sliced almonds for crunch.
