Rustic Pear & Hazelnut Vegan Galette

Rustic Pear & Hazelnut Vegan Galette. Making desserts with seasonal fruit is something I love.  Today I am using beautiful pears and pairing them with cinnamon, lemon, hazelnuts, on a crust that features olive oil and an unrefined flour. Fragrant, wholesome, delicious. 

Song of the day: South of the Border - Ed Sheeran (feat. Camila Cabello & Cardi B)

This Rustic Pear & Hazelnut Vegan Galette  is just that, a rustic, delectable dessert that highlights seasonal pears dressed with cinnamon, lemon zest, and lemon juice, laid on ground hazelnuts on top of a light and tender olive oil crust. The aroma is heavenly and the taste is just as impressive. 

 

I have been using this recipe to make vegan galettes, a lot. I made apple, Concord grape, and plum galettes, according to the season. Today it's time to use some pears that we bought in huge quantities. Pears are so underrated in fruit-based desserts but they totally add an amazing flavor and texture.

Making the Vegan Crust

• This time I used a bowl but I've also used a food processor. I prepare all the ingredients: stone-ground flour type 2 which will add to the rustic look and wholesomeness, cane sugar, pinch of salt, evo oil, and cold water. 
• Then, I stir the flour, sugar, salt, and add the olive oil mixing with a wooden spoon until the crumbs are pea-size.

NOTE: In Italy, our flours have numbers from 00 to 2 according to their refinements. “00” type flour is the most refined and comes from the innermost part of the grain of wheat; type “2” is the closest to unrefined wholemeal flour that contains all the parts of the ground grain.

• After that, I add the cold water, a little at a time, blending with the spoon until the dough just comes together (you might have some water leftover).
• Lastly, I shape the dough into a ball,  wrap it in plastic, and set it in the fridge to rest for half an hour.

Preparing the Pears

• While the dough is resting, I peel and slice the pears, then I add them to a bowl, sprinkle with cinnamon, dress with lemon juice, and zest. I toss them and set in the fridge while I roll out the dough. NOTE: If you want to keep the peel, that is totally up to you.

Rolling the dough

• I roll the dough onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper so from there it can go straight to the baking sheet. Dust some flour on top so it doesn't stick to the rolling pin. NOTE: It is a very light dough, so be gentle. At this time, I also ground a handful of hazelnuts with 1 tablespoon of cane sugar.
• Once I have somewhat of a circle about ½ cm thick, I spread the hazelnut mixture on the crust, leaving a border empty. 

• Afterward, I start arranging the pear slices over the mixture, going around and slightly overlapping.
• I place the slices all around, then add some in the center, creating somewhat of a design. Just be creative. 
• Finally, I fold the edges in and finish by sprinkling cane sugar on top of the pears and on the border before placing the baking sheet on the middle shelf of the preheated oven. NOTE: It is a very delicate dough, patch out any tears in the folded edges. Pears are not a juicy fruit, plus the hazelnuts ground, most likely you won't have any leakage.

Rustic Beauty

The Rustic Pear & Hazelnut Vegan Galette  is out of the oven. It smells wonderful and by the look of it, I know it is going to be light and crumbly, with soft spiced pears and some crunch from the hazelnuts. I am in love!

   

The Taste Test

We hardly wait for the galette to cool off, then we slice it and taste it. The fragrance of cinnamon reaches our nostrils as we bite in. It's like aromatherapy. The pears are soft, spiced, and not too sweet with a lemony flavor. The ground hazelnuts and cane sugar underneath the pears provide just enough sweetness, a lovely nuttiness, and a bit of crunch. Lastly, the pastry is light and delicate, with a wonderful olive oil taste. The unrefined flour gives that honey hue and a lovely wholesome flavor.

All in all, this Rustic Pear & Hazelnut Vegan Galette is a great dessert for those who follow a vegan diet, and also for those who want a lighter dessert that doesn't sacrifice taste and goodness.

Enjoy!

 

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