May 9th, 2013
Quince and Pear Galette
I am staying with my Dad this week in the countryside outside Beaudesert. My Mother has gone to New Zealand to visit her relatives and it gave me the idea of coming up and keeping Dad company. The husba has come too. The change from living in a city apartment is remarkable! First it is quiet. If a car drives you notice it. You don’t hear ambulances or any sirens. There are LOTS of bird calls. My Mother likes to feed the birds so when you get up there are Lorikeets, Magpies, Butcher birds and Kookaburras waiting to be fed. It gets cold here. I noticed my face cream has turned hard and the cord of the hairdryer was stiff. The apartment is always warm. I am not saying one is better, I am just noticing all the differences.
Yesterday we had a visit from a neighbour, June. June had driven down to near Falls Creek Victoria to see family and had brought gifts for my parents upon her return. Quince from a laden tree that nobody wanted. Of course I had to pinch a couple to make something with. I had stopped on the way at fruit shop and picked up Bosc pears so I thought Quince and Pears what a delightful combination.
I tweaked another recipe and the result was excellent. The pastry is excellent and it is wonderful with ice cream or cream.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Crust
- 1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 150 grams unsalted butter, cold, cut into 8 pieces
- 2 tablespoons of sour cream, cold
- About 1 1/2 tablespoons ice water
- Filling
- 4 Bosc pear, peeled and cored
- 1 large or 2 small quinces, peeled and cored
- 2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
- Finishes
- About 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 2 tablespoons Demerara, or other coarse sugar
- 1/3 cup apricot preserves
Method
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To make the crust, put the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times to mix. Scatter the butter over the top and pulse until the butter is in pea-size pieces. Add the sour cream and pulse until the butter and cream cheese are in pieces that vary in size from oat flakes to peas. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the ice water, a little at a time, adding just enough for the dough to hold together when you pinch a clump between your fingers. You can do this by hand which is how I do it if you prefer. You rub the butter into the flour mixture and then add sour cream and lastly water.
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Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly just to bring it together into a ball. Flatten it into a disk, wrap in plastic film, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes or up to 1 day.
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Cut the quince and pear into roughly. Put the fruits into a bowl, sprinkle with the brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt, and toss to coat evenly. Mix the butter evenly into the fruit.
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Preheat the oven to 375°F Use a large cookie tray, and cover the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper.
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Place the dough disk on some baking paper and roll out in to the shape of a circle. If the circle is uneven, don’t worry and you are going to fold it over.
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Arrange the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border around the edges. Fold the border up and over the fruit, tucking and pleating the pastry to snugly fit over the fruit as you go.
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To finish, brush the pastry rim with half-and-half and sprinkle the turbinado sugar evenly over the pastry and the filling.
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Bake until the fruit is tender when pierced with a knife and the dough is golden, about 50 minutes. Let the galette cool on the pan for 15 minutes, then slide the baking papaer with the galette onto a wire rack to finish cooling
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