Its that time of year, party season, when you are likely to be asked to chip in with the food. In the rush up to Christmas there is little spare time, so when asked to ‘bring a dessert’ you need a go to recipe that will achieve the wow factor without a whole lot of effort.
I get that sometimes in the land of pastry things can get a little fiddly, but not always. Some of our family favourites are the simplest and what I turn to when I need to whip something up in a hurry – but look impressive of course! So if you thought desserts were not your strength this is for you.
I’m talking about a Galette, which sounds fancy but really it is the simplest type of tart you can make. Choose fruit that is in season, for us right now Barossa Corella pears are at hand, but in a couple of weeks it will be apricots and then as the weather warms up it might be peaches or nectarines, or the classic choice apple.
What is a Galette? It’s like a pastry pizza, it’s freeform, no tart shells involved, no blind baking required, just a baking sheet and baking paper. It can be sweet or savoury and once you have the basics of making a Galette under your belt you will have the confidence to start experimenting with different toppings. I love the fact it is a flexible dish, you don’t have to follow a recipe to the letter, measurements do not need to be precise. It might involve taking a look at what’s in the fridge or pantry and pulling together a few ingredients. Take a bag of onions for example, sliced and cooked slowly with a spoonful of brown sugar, topped with dollops of cheese (goat curd, blue cheese, feta would work), makes a great savoury galette topping.
So here is my simple Sweet Pear Galette Recipe on butter puff to get you started.
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