Pear Galette with Lemon Cream Cheese Filling

For the crust:

In a large bowl, cut the 2 cups of flour and butter with a pastry cutter. Or you can do this in a food processor, pulsing until it resembles large granules of sand. Add the water a few tablespoons at a time, all the while cutting or processing it into the butter and flour mixture. Don’t over cut the dough. Once the dough starts sticking together it is ready. Pat it into a ball and cut it in half. Wrap each half separately in a piece of plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 20-30 minutes.

For the filling:

In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and juice, egg and egg yolk until well combined. Place in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to use.

Assembly:

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Dust a large piece of parchment paper with flour. Roll out one of the balls of dough into a 13 x 9 oval, approximately. Carefully slide the parchment paper with the rolled out dough onto a large cookie sheet. Save the other ball of dough for a later use.

Peel, core and slice the pears. Place into a small bowl, then set aside.

Spread as much as the cream cheese filling into the center of the rolled out dough as you can, leaving an inch to an inch and a half border all around. Arrange the sliced pears on top of the filling. Fold the border in towards the center, over some of the filling and pears. Brush the folded border with some of the saved egg white and sprinkle with the sanding sugar.

Bake for 28-32 minutes, until the crust is done and the filling is slightly jiggly in the middle. Remove from the oven and cool completely on the cookie sheet. Place into the refrigerator to chill for a few hours prior to serving.

Slice and serve with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

Enjoy!