Five Spice Pear Strawberry Galette

Five Spice Pear Strawberry Galette

This recipe is a great endorsement for keeping frozen puff pastry in your freezer at all times. Everyone knows I hate to waste food, and by waste I don't mean that I eat it all rather than throw it out; my friends and neighbors can attest that get our surplus. What I'm talking about is when we overbuy produce for example as in the case of the strawberries and pears in this galette tart. Both fruits were quickly getting over-ripe and it was unlikely they would be eaten in the couple of good days they had left in them. Solution? Turn them into a very fast and simple dessert for dinner using frozen puff pastry already on hand.

The fruit was simply tossed together with a little sugar and Chinese Five Spice powder to give it an interesting spicy, fragrant touch, then just thrown onto some rolled out puff pastry which is then folded rustically over the fruit to form the tart. It really couldn't be simpler. Just make sure you always have some great ice-cream on hand in the freezer along with that puff pastry.


I like to macerate the strawberries in sugar to draw out some of the liquid so that the galette doesn't get too soggy.

• 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries cut in quarters
• 3 tbsp sugar

Toss together and set aside. Leave them for about a half hour tossing occasionally, then drain off any excess liquid.

• 1 one pound package of puff pastry, thawed
• 3 large pears
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice powder

Mix the spice powder through the sugar to distribute it evenly, then toss it together with the pears and drained strawberries. 

Roll the pastry out t o about a 14 inch square and place the fruit mixture evenly in about a 10 inch square in the center.

Fold the edges of the dough toward the center of the galette. Brush the edges of the pastry lightly with an egg wash made by whisking together:

• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp water

You do not need to use all this egg wash, just enough to lightly coat the pastry. Sprinkle the pastry edges with turbinado sugar if desired. Chill the galette in the freezer for about 30 minutes before popping it into a preheated 425 degree oven for 20 minutes, then turn the heat down to 350 degrees F and continue to bake until the crust is evenly golden brown. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving warm with ice cream.