I honestly thought this would be an odds and sods kinda dessert. Two pears, a couple stalks of rhubarb, a bag of tea…nothing special. So I thought. I was in for a surprise. The flakey crust, the sweet (pear and caramel) and the tart (rhubarb) with the soft perfume and spice from the chai was exquisite. And of course, sprinkled with a few chopped walnuts and its a party.
The only suggestion I have is roll the rhubarb if you have time. It took time to roll these slippery babies up and tie together. My pinky fingers are still a bit stiff. The idea originated from my days as a florist and rolling leaves up, tying with grass and accenting floral arrangements. Not as easy when somethings so small and wet. But the result I have to admits was gorgeous.
The galette was a huge conversation piece with family and friends at the dinner table. Which is why the lack of pics here. My husband literally had a fork in his back pocket, my dad a pair of chopsticks tucked behind his ear, both just dying to dive in while I was shooting pics.
Bon App!
- For the CRUST:
- 1¼ Cup or 160 grams Pastry flour or AP Flour
- 5 tablespoons or 75 grams of non salted butter cold butter grated on box grater largest hole - pop in freezer while collecting other ingredients
- ⅛ Cup or 30 grams vegetable shortening cut into small cubes and popped into freezer while collecting other ingredients
- 4-5 tablespoons Ice cold water
- 1 table spoon milk for the crust wash
- For the FILLING:
- 2½ ripe pears- center core removed and sliced about ½ cm wide each but kept intact on the stem top part of pear.
- 100 grams or 2 stalks of fresh rhubarb...slivered and rolled or just slivered
- 2 tablespoons walnuts (optional)
- For the CARAMEL:
- 1 cup or 200 grams white granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornsyrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- 5 tablespoons or 70 grams unsalted butter cut into pieces
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 Chai tea bag
- For the CRUST:
- sift flour and toss the frozen grated butter and shortening together with a pastry cutter into the flour
- Add the cold water, spoon at a time and toss until flour is moist and cohesive enough to form a disc
- Double wrap with plastic and pop in fridge for an hour
- For the CARAMEL:
- In the meantime, on medium heat in a small sauce pan, warm the cream to a simmer and toss in the chai tea bag...turn off heat and let it simmer in the warm cream for 10 minutes
- In a separate sauce pan, on medium heat, stir the water, sugar and corn syrup and until just combined and don't stir anymore. Instead swirl pot gently as the sugar melts.
- As soon as the sugar has melted and the caramel is an amber hue, remove from heat and pour the warm cream (tea bag discarded) and stir well (the cream will bubble) - set aside to cool
- wash pears, core and slice length wise about half cm thickness, keeping the pear still intact from the stem end of the pear.. set aside
- Sliver the rhubarb into very thin slices length wise...then roll into small rosettes and tie off with a fibrous strand taken from another part of the rhubarb. Do not discard the odds and ends of the rhubarb- set aside
- ASSEMBLING:
- Set oven rack to middle and preheat to 425 F
- Lightly flour your work surface and Roll the dough out into circle about 12-14 inches - rolling from centre outwards and rotating so that the dough has been evenly rolled. lift and turn often so it doesn't stick to work area.
- Transfer to a baking tray lined with parchment
- Spread some cooled caramel on the bottom of the dough (leaving a couple inches on the edge) and lay out the odds and ends of the rhubarb or if you didn't make the rhubarb rosettes, lay all the slices on rhubarb here.
- Then lay out the pears and fan them out again leaving about 2 inches empty from edge
- Generously drizzle the pears with the rest of the caramel
- Decorate with the rhubarb rolls
- Sprinkle walnuts (optional)
- Fold the crust over, overlapping each fold
- Pop galette in fridge for 10 minutes uncovered
- Brush crust with milk
- bake at 425 F for 20 minutes - DROP HEAT to 375 F and bake another 15 to 20 minutes until the crust is golden
- Serve with vanilla ice-cream (optional)
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