Ginger Pear Galette

Prepare the dough for the crust by combining the flour, sugar, cinnamon, fresh ginger, cloves, and salt in a food processor fitted with a pastry blade. Cut the cold, unsalted butter into approximately ½-inch pieces, and add to the food processor along with the dry ingredients. Pulse until the butter is in pea-size pieces, making sure not to over process. Transfer the mixture into a medium bowl, then add the lightly beaten egg, molasses, and heavy cream. Toss with a fork until the dough begins to come together in a shaggy mixture. Lightly dust the countertop with flour, then dump the mixture onto the surface and begin gently kneading until it comes together in a smooth dough. Lightly pat the dough into a disk 1 – 2 inches thick, then cover tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, or up to overnight.

To make the jam, roughly dice the pears and add to a food processor or blender. Add the lemon juice and sugar, then blend until smooth. Add the mixture to a small pot on the stove over medium heat. Smash the knob of ginger with the side of a knife until it splits apart, then add the entire thing to the pot with the pear mixture. Stirring frequently, cook the mixture until it thickens to a jam-like consistency — approximately 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard the knob of ginger, and set aside to cool.

For the filling, combine the cornstarch, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Cut the bosc pears into ¼-inch slices, cutting all the way through the entire pear on both sides until reaching the core. Discard the core, then add the pear slices to the bowl with the cornstarch mixture. Toss with your hands until each pear slice is coated in the mixture.

Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Begin assembling the galette. Lightly flour a large surface and place the refrigerated disk of dough in the center. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a large circle approximately 12 inches in diameter and ¼ – ½ inch thick. It’s okay if the edges are shaggy! If the dough is too difficult to roll out, allow to sit at room temperature for several minutes to soften.

Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Spread the pear jam in an even layer all over the base of the dough, leaving about 3 inches of space around the edges. Layer the pears coated in cornstarch over the jam, overlapping each pear slice in concentric circles until the jam is completely covered. Finally, fold the bare edges of the dough over the pear filling, allowing the edges of the pastry to fold and pleat onto itself organically to create a round galette. Brush the heavy cream all over the dough, and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Place the galette in the oven and bake for 35 – 40 minutes until the crust is golden and the pears in the center are tender and the jam is bubbling. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2 hours prior to serving. Serve with heaping scoops of vanilla ice cream — not required, but definitely encouraged.