Magical Ojai Pixie and Flamingo Pear Bake

(Gerry Furth-Sides) We just had to see if our “must-try” galette stands up as a favorites. The bake combines a spring and an autumn fruit: Ojai Pixie tangerines and Flamingo pears from Chile. Each are still perfect to eat on their own. It does indeed.

We start with a bag of medium-small size Pixies. And they can vary in shape, size, texture and color! Their deep orange yellow skin can be smooth or slightly pebbly, varied as well in shape, size and texture for a little bit of novelty (Photo credit: Family Farms).

We used colorful Flamingo pears, a Bon Rouge-Florelle pear cross, now in season from Chile because it’s now autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Developed in South Africa, they cast a ruby red blush over green/yellow skin coloring, and the juicy sweet white interior fruit has a crisp-firm texture. Flamingo pears are perfect for baking(canning or cooking) because they are so flavorful and firm.

Here are the ingredients ready to go. The array of color and textures define spring and fall whether they are eaten fresh or in a bake.

Our Flamingo pear galette has a triple touch of “pixie dust,” both in the grated zest, sugar rind topping and in a layer of frangipane. The Great British Baking Show inspired the layer of frangipane, a creamy spread form of marzipan with a little bit less sugar. The dough scraper also looked “so cool” on the show that we bought one, and it immediately became handy.

Recipe for the Pear Tart with Frangipane Layer

Tips: For a double boiler to melt the butter, we used a pyrex glass mixing bowl over a medium size pot. For the almond flour we tried both Bob’s Red Mill protein powder, (more refined) and we also tried Trader Joe Almond Meal (more rustic since the peels are on the almonds). Be sure to leave one-inch around the fruit once it is on your pie crust, or the fruit juice will seep out! We used the superb Nielsen-Massey Pure Almond Extract. And yes! Peeling fresh ginger with the back of a spoon works!

• 1/4 cup softened Unsalted Butter
• 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
• 3/4 cup almond flour – we tried almond meal; you can use
• 1 Tbsp white all purpose flour
• 2 Eggs large eggs
• 1/8 tsp Almond Extract (we used Massey)
• 2 pears, peeled, cored and sliced thin
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tablespoon ginger
• 4 tsp Unsalted Butter melted and divided into 4 parts

Instructions

• Line baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
• In large bowl, beat butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in almond meal and white flour. Beat in 1 egg and almond extract; set aside.
• Mix almond meal and flour into the mix. Refrigerate for one hour.
• Roll out dough to about 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Place into a tart pan.
• Place frangipane layer over the crust. 
• Place pear slices, overlapping each other, onto the crust in the middle with one-inch around the edge.
• Fold tart dough edges over the middle. 
• Brush pastry edge with beaten egg. Sprinkle granulated sugar and cinnamon over the top. Brush 1 tsp of the melted butter on top of each galette.
• Bake at 375°F for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Dried, sugared pixie rinds add a springy touch to the pear fruit tart. For this we made a simple syrup of half water and half sugar, then dried them on baking sheet over night. The light, airy and springy pixie rinds and the ginger added a spark of color, texture and taste.

The Ojai Pixies are astonishingly sweet in a natural way. And their bright orange, easily separated segments are seedless. Even their size that is never over two to three inches in diameter is endearing.  

You can still order the pixies for home delivery even though it is at the very end of the March through May season. A four-pound pack is $22.79 and available at Melissa’s Produce. //www.melissas.com/products/ojai-pixie-tangerines

Savor the tasty, delicate treat of tree-ripened fruit bursting with sunshine-sweet flavor and juice. This seedless variety is the result of open pollination of Kincy, King and Dancy mandarins. Popular backyard trees in Ojai, California, they bear small to medium-sized citrus, having pebbly textured, yellow-orange rinds with loose skins that peel easily. The segments separate neatly for a quick snack, making them a great choice for eating out of hand.

For the juiciest, sweetest fruit, look for Ojai Pixie Tangerines with a sweet, clean fragrance. Store at cool room temperatures for up to one week or refrigerate for up to two weeks. Peel Ojai Pixie Tangerines before use. Five medium-sized Pixie Tangerines equal approximately one pound.