Pear-Almond Galette

We just got our first pears of the season, ripe and juicy and delicious. I had some sliced on my oatmeal this morning, which was very tasty, but it also put me in mind of this recipe. A galette is a bit like a dessert pizza--a flat pastry crust with fruit or whatever on top. I developed this a few years ago and have found that it always gets a welcome reception. The almond extract in the crust really makes it special, and very fragrant. Now I just need a good excuse to make it...

As you'll see below, you can make the dough either by hand or in a food processor. There are lots of steps, but don't be daunted--it's not really that complicated.

Pastry Dough
1 ¼ cups white flour
½ tsp white sugar
½ tsp salt
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), very cold
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp ice water, plus more if needed
1 tsp almond extract

Topping
1 large ripe pear, peeled and sliced
3 Tbsp white sugar
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, in pea-sized chunks
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Up to 1/8 tsp cinnamon (optional)

To prepare the pastry dough by hand:
1. Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Sprinkle chunks of butter over it, then cut the butter in using a pastry cutter or two knives.

2. Sprinkle the ice water and almond extract over the flour and butter mixture. Using the blade side of a rubber scraper, cut dough until it starts to form balls. If necessary, add additional ice water one teaspoon at a time to help the dough cohere. Be careful not to add so much water that the dough becomes sticky.

3. Press the dough with your hands to form it into a ball. The texture of the dough should be a bit rough, not smooth. Press it into a round disk, wrap it tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (and not more than 2 days).

To prepare the pastry dough with a food processor:
1. Put the flour, sugar, and salt into the food processor and process for 10 seconds to mix.

2. Add the butter in small chunks, scattered over the flour mixture. Pulse for 1-2 second intervals until nearly all the butter is pea-sized or smaller. You may need to scrape the sides once or twice.

3. Drizzle the ice water and almond extract over the flour and butter mixture. Pulse for 1-2 second intervals until there are no more dry patches in the dough and it starts to form small balls. Do not allow the dough to form a single mass in the food processor. Press the dough together with your fingers. If it does not cohere, sprinkle in an additional teaspoon of ice water and pulse several more times. Repeat if necessary. Be careful not to add so much water that the dough becomes sticky.

4. Remove the dough from the food processor and follow step 3 above.

To prepare the galette:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°.

2. Remove the pastry dough from the refrigerator. If it has been left for longer than 30 minutes, allow it to thaw briefly until it becomes more pliable.

3. Lay out a piece of waxed paper about 14 inches long on a flat surface and sprinkle it with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out in a circle or oblong shape to a thickness of about 1/8-inch. Transfer the dough to a cookie sheet and peel off the waxed paper.

4. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp of sugar over the crust, leaving about 2 inches bare around the outside. Arrange the sliced pears densely over the crust, again leaving about 2 inches bar around the outside. Sprinkle the butter over the fruit, then sprinkle with the remaining sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon (if using).

5. Fold the outside edges of the crust up over the fruit. Pinch the corners together to prevent the pear juices from leaking while the galette bakes.

6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

7. Allow the galette to cool for at least a few minutes before serving.

Serves 4-6.