Pear or Apple Galette (Rustic Tart)

Any good pear or cooking apple will work. D’Anjou is good, as is Bartlett. Granny Smiths make a good apple galette—or a mix of sweet and tart apples.

4-6 pears or apples (depending on size) peeled, cored, and sliced
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
Grated rind and juice of ½ lemon
4 tablespoons flour
Scant ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Scant ½ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
Pinch of allspice
Pinch of ground cloves
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 egg white and more white sugar for glazing
1 recipe pate brisee pastry dough, chilled

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place sliced pears in a medium mixing bowl and sprinkle with lemon rind and juice. Toss gently to coat.

In a small bowl, mix together flour, spices, and salt. Set aside. Roll out chilled pastry dough into a circle about 18" in diameter. Trim edges.

Add flour/spice mixture to fruit and toss gently to combine. Mound fruit in the middle of pastry circle, dot with butter, and bring sides of pastry up to encase fruit (pleat or overlap pastry as you go). Pastry should envelop fruit enough to hold juices in, but still have an opening of 3–6" in the center to allow steam to escape and show the fruit within.

Using a pastry brush, glaze galette with a mixture of one egg white and 1-2 teaspoons of water, then sprinkle liberally with more white sugar.

Bake on a baking sheet or cookie sheet in center of oven for 40-45 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown, edges of fruit have browned, and juices are bubbly.

If galette needs more cooking time, but pastry is browning too quickly, cover pastry loosely with foil, leaving a hole in the middle to allow steam to escape. Cool slightly on a wire rack before slicing.

Serve with ice cream or lightly sweetened, freshly whipped cream.