Ahh, it’s finally November! The “ber” months are always my favorite time of year. The weather finally begins to cool off from the scorching hell that is the summer (I love the summer but I loathe the heat) and the holidays are upon us. In October Mariah Carey begins to thaw from her cryogenic freeze and by Nov 1st it’s “All I want for Christmas” for two months straight. I’ve always considered Halloween to be the first holiday during The Holidays, but next year since Joel and I will be getting married on October 7th, my anniversary will become the new first holiday of The Holidays, at least for me. The autumn mood is in full force and yesterday in celebration of November I made a Pear Galette.

Pears are one of those fruits that I don’t eat often, maybe a few times a year, and it’s usually in a dessert. I think of pears as the same way as I think of tomatoes - good but only reaching their full potential when they’ve been introduced to heat. A true glow-up of sorts. This is honestly one of my favorite things I’ve ever baked.

Pear Galette

Ingredients:

1 piecrust, store bough or homemade (see this recipe for homemade)
4 Anju pears (other types will work, but I personally like these the most)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 tablespoons flour
1 large egg, beaten

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425. Mix together sugar, spices, and flour in a bowl and set aside. Cut the pears in half and core (remove seeds and the tough area immediately around them). Slice the pears thinly either vertically or horizontally (it doesn't matter - I cut mine vertically). Set aside.

2. If you’re using homemade dough, roll the dough into a circle 12 inches across and then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If using a pre-made dough, unravel from its packaging and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

3. Arrange the pears onto the dough being sure to leave about 1 to 1 1/2 inches of dough around the edges uncovered. If you want, you can do some type of concentric pattern for aesthetic purposes (to be honest I tried doin this but ended up just placing them in a way that was quick and easy, no biggie - it’ll still taste the same). Sprinkle all but 1 tablespoon of the sugar mixture on the pears, making sure to get in between the pear slices. Fold the uncovered dough around the pears over the top of the galette and then brush with the beaten egg. Sprinkle the remaining sugar mix over the egg washed dough. Bake for 30 minutes. Galette should be nicely browned and bubbling.

The easiest, best Pear Galette you’ll ever bake