Rustic Pear and Plum Tart Recipe

Free-form Galette with Dulce De Leche Sauce Ripe Pears and Plums

Jun 22, 2009
Donna Diegel

Rustic Pear & Plum Tart - Donna Diegel

Stonewall Kitchen's Dulce De Leche caramel sauce, ripe Bartlett pears & Italian prune plums baked with nutmeg & spices in a flaky free-form pie crust. Just add ice cream.

A free-form galette is the easiest way to make a pie. There's no need for a pie pan, just roll the flaky pie crust out and fold it up and over the fruit. Crimping isn't necessary either. In fact, the free-form tart is more charming when left in its rustic state. Additional rustic tarts and galettes include the Apple Cranberry Tart and Rustic Peach Galette. Just add whipped cream for a delicious seasonal dessert.

Pear & Plum Galette Recipe

1/2 batch of the Best Ever Pie Crust Recipe. (This recipe makes enough for 2 tarts or galettes.)
2-4 ripe pears depending on the size, cored and sliced, peels on (Green Anjou, Red Anjou, Barlett and Bosc pears are good choices)
8-10 Italian prune plums, pitted and quartered, skins on if desired
2-4 Tablespoons sugar, more or less to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, cinnamon or cardamom
4 Tablespoons Stonewall Kitchen Dulce De Leche Sauce or jam of choice (optional)
1 Tablespoon castor or coarse sugar and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg for dusting
1 large egg, beaten

Cream Filling (optional)

1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon melted butter
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup cream or half & half

How to Make Pear & Plum Galette

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or non-stick silpat liner.
On a floured surface, roll pie crust to approximately 14" in diameter. Trim the edges as desired. Transfer pie crust to the prepared pan. The edges will fall over the sides, but they'll be folded over the filling later on.
Using a 9" inverted bowl or pan lid, lightly mark the inside of the pastry crust. Be careful not to cut through the dough. Spread the Stonewall Kitchen's Dulce De Leche Sauce evenly over the pastry crust within the circle.
Toss the plum slices with sugar and nutmeg in a small bowl.
Layer sliced pears and plums inside and around the circle, on top of the sauce until it is full. Optional ingredients like sliced and toasted almonds, pecans, walnuts and raisins can be added at this time.
Moisten the edges with a small amount of water and carefully fold up, pressing and folding the edges in a rustic pattern.
Mix the 1 Tablespoon castor sugar and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg together and set aside.
If the tart is fruit only with no cream filling, bake it at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and with a pastry brush, brush the outside of the crust with the beaten egg, and sprinkle the crust with the nutmeg sugar for a rustic look. Return to oven and continue baking approximately 10-20 minutes longer or until the fruit is tender.
If the tart will be filled with cream, whisk together all cream filling ingredients in a small bowl. Remove the tart from the oven after 30 minutes and very gently pour the cream mixture though the center. Depending on the amount of fruit juice the tart has produced, some of it may need to be spooned out to make room for the cream filling. With a pastry brush, paint the outside of the crust with the beaten egg, and sprinkle the crust with the cinnamon sugar. Bake for another 10-20 minutes or until the cream filling is set.
Remove tart from the oven. Let sit for 10-15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Serve with fresh whipped cream or ice cream, and a dash of nutmeg. This tart is best served the same day. Refrigerate any leftovers. Serves 6-8.