This stunning paleo pear and raspberry galette is a delicious and beautiful way to impress your guests this holidays season.
Paleo baking first-timer…
So, I am a total newbie to paleo baking. After doing several Whole30 rounds, I’ve realized that grains don’t do this body good. Now that I’m not on a round, I’ve introduced paleo options to my usual Whole30 culinary regimen. Flavor combinations are instinctual so I thought it would be a breeze to make the necessary paleo swaps to make this a “healthier” dessert. The combination of taste and texture are spot on but I must admit that I had a difficult time working with the crust.
Here is what I have learned:
- The focus should be on highlighting the flavor of the fruit. Many fruit desserts have tons of sugar,
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Paleo Pear and Raspberry Galette - which simply masks the delicate flavor of a perfectly ripe pear. This low sugar (coconut sugar, that is) tart brings the pear front and center. The raspberries perfectly punctuate with ultra-sweet and tart notes that make this dessert sing.
- Use a crust that balances the sweetness of the fruit. The paleo crust that I use in this recipe is a perfect flavor fit; dense, nutty, and buttery. Those are the qualities that you should look for when choosing a crust.
- Paleo crusts are quite temperamental. I had a very hard time working with this crust. The crust requires refrigeration before working with it but the dough gets warm quickly so you need to work quickly. I rolled the dough out a few times, smoothed it back together where it had cracked, and put it back into the fridge before working it into the final galette crust. If you are not a fan of difficult crusts or if you are not looking for a paleo recipe, then feel free to substitute the crust of your choice. If you do that, I encourage you to use a dense crust topped with some toasted nuts when you are done. Chopped hazelnuts would be divine!
- Don’t forget the galette aesthetic. I love the way that red pears look, especially in desserts. You can use any color pear but juicy, ripe, red beauties set this dessert apart. I arranged the pears in a circular overlapping pattern, but you can arrange how you see fit. Just keep in mind how the final dessert will look.
Paleo Pear and Raspberry GaletteA note about paleo flour…
You can buy paleo flour in order to make this dough or mix up a batch of your own. This all purpose mix is a wonderful substitute for regular wheat flour. Cassava flour is also a great 1:1 grain-free substitute. I love this brand of cassava flour because it is about $6 cheaper than buying in the store. If you would like to make your own paleo flour, click here for the paleo flour mix recipe that I used for this galette.
This rustic pear and raspberry galette is the perfect ending to a meal and will surely leave your guests wanting more. A simple finale to share with those you love… and want to impress. 😉
Paleo Pear and Raspberry Galette
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 and 1/4 cup grain-free (paleo) baking flour (see link in description for paleo blend flour recipe)
- 2 tsp. of coconut sugar (can use turbinado sugar)
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup ghee (or 1 stick of butter)
- 1 egg
- 3 red ripe pears, cut into 1/4 inch slices
- 3 oz. of fresh raspberries
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp. coconut sugar (can use turbinado sugar)
- * Nuts (optional)
Instructions
Combine paleo baking flour, coconut sugar, salt in a medium bowl.
Using a small spoon, "shave" off small pieces of ghee into the crust mixture. Use a pastry knife (also called pastry blender) to cut in the ghee until the mixture is crumbly. You can use your fingers to break up any large ghee pieces that don't get cut in. If you don't have a pastry knife, then use a fork and your fingers to mix ghee into crust mixture.
Whisk egg in small bowl and add to crust mixture. Gently knead or stir until just combined.
Place dough on parchment paper, press down to make a thick disk, and cover in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled (about an hour) or overnight.
Preheat oven to 400° F.
Unwrap the dough but leave on the parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment paper over top the disk of dough.
Using a rolling pin, roll out dough into a rough oval about 1/4-1/8 inch thick (about 18x12 in).
Transfer crust (still on parchment) to baking sheet.
Arrange pears in a pattern on crust, overlapping. Be sure to leave a 1-2 in. border around the edge so that you can fold the crust over the fruit.
Add fresh raspberries over top.
Carefully fold the 1-2 in. crust border over fruit, as pictured. If the crust rips, pinch and smooth it back together.
Brush border of crust with egg yolk wash.
Sprinkle crust edges with remaining 1 tbsp. of coconut sugar.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
Notes
For an extra burst of raspberry, make a raspberry jam by heating and reducing frozen raspberries in a saucepan. Before arranging pears on top of crust, smooth on some cooled raspberry jam over the dough. Then add fruit.
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