French Pear Tart Food

FRENCH PEAR TART

Steps:

• Position one oven rack to middle, and move the second rack to the top slot.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar and salt. Add melted butter and combine to form dough.
• Transfer dough to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. With your hands press dough down to spread on bottom and onto the rims of the pan.
• Place in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes, or until crust turns golden brown. When ready remove crust from oven and let sit to cool. Leave oven on.
• Meanwhile, heat the fig preserves in microwave for about 40 seconds. Pour heated fig preserves through a mesh strainer to separate chunks from liquid.
• Now, slice five pears into 1/2-inch slices, discarding core.
• Heat 1 tbsp of butter in a large cast iron skillet. Add pear slices and 1 tbsp water. Cover and cook on medium heat until pears are slightly tender; about 3 minutes.
• Remove pears onto a large platter and let sit to cool.
• Take the remaining three pears and cut them in the same manner.
• Now melt 2 tbsp of butter in previously used cast iron skillet. Add newly-sliced pears, chunks of fig reserves, and salt. Cook on medium heat, covered, for ten minutes; stir occasionally until pears are very tender.
• Take a potato masher and mash the pears and fig reserves into a puree. Let cook for another 5-7 minutes or until pureed mixture reduces and thickens.
• Transfer pear-fig puree onto the now cooled crust; spread evenly.
• Now, take the cooled pear slices and begin to assemble them in layered circles, starting at the outer edges (see photo).
• Place tart on the middle rack of the oven. Bake in 350 degree F-heated oven for 30 minutes.
• Warm up the strained liquid fig preserves for 20 seconds in the microwave.
• When tart is ready, remove from oven and brush surface of the pears evenly with the warmed fig liquid.
• Return to oven and place on the top rack. Broil very briefly; watching carefully until pears gain a nice caramelized look.
• Remove from oven and let cool for at least 1 1/2 hours before serving.
• When ready, place the bottom of the tart pan on a wide can of food. Hold the ring part of the pan and carefully slide it downwards (see photo).
• Cut pear fig tart into eight slices and serve. Enjoy!

RUSTIC PEAR TART

Steps:

• To prepare the crust, in a medium bowl whisk together the whole-wheat pastry flour, all- purpose flour, granulated sugar and salt. Add the butter and using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until you get a pebbly, course texture. In a small bowl combine the buttermilk and ice water. Using a fork, gradually mix the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. Pat the dough into a 4-inch round and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• In the meantime, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, and prepare the filling. Peel the pears, core them and cut into 1/4-inch slices. In a large bowl toss the pear slices with the lemon juice. Sprinkle in the cornstarch, brown sugar and cinnamon and toss until the pears are evenly coated. Set aside.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a large circle about nine inches in diameter. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and draping the dough over the rolling pin, transfer to the prepared baking sheet. If the dough breaks at all patch it up with your fingers.
• Arrange the pears in a mound in the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch boarder. Fold the border over the filling. It will only cover the pears partially and does not need to be even.
• Bake the tart for 15 minutes, and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, keeping the tart in the oven all the while, and bake for another 40 minutes, until the pears are tender and the crust is golden brown.
• In a small bowl stir together the honey and boiling water to make a glaze. When the tart is done remove it from the oven and brush the honey glaze all over the top of the fruit and crust. Transfer to a plate to cool slightly. Cut into 6 wedges and serve warm or a room temperature.

FRANGIPANE PEAR TART

Steps:

• Combine water, 1 cup white sugar, honey, vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, and cardamom in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add pears; reduce heat and simmer until pears are translucent or easily pierced with a knife, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
• Combine 1 1/2 cup flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut in 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter until mixture is crumbly. Mix in egg yolk until dough sticks together in large clumps.
• Grease a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press dough evenly into the pan. Freeze for 30 minutes. Reserve leftover dough for patching cracks.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Grease the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil with butter; place butter-side down over the pastry. Transfer tart pan to a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven, using leftover dough to patch any cracks, until dough looks dry and light brown, about 20 minutes. Peel off aluminum foil; let pastry cool.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine 2/3 cup white sugar and 1/3 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in ground almonds. Add egg, egg yolk, 2 teaspoons flour, and cornstarch; beat until frangipane is smooth. Beat in almond extract and vanilla extract.
• Spread frangipane evenly over the pastry. Drain pear halves and dry with paper towels. Cut lengthwise into even slices. Place 1 pear half on a spatula and gently fan out slices. Place on frangipane. Repeat with remaining pear halves.
• Bake in the preheated oven until frangipane is firm to the touch, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

FRENCH PEAR TART WITH NUTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Unroll the puff pastry sheet and line a tart pan with it. Cut off any overhanging pastry. Prick pastry several times with a fork.
• Stir together creme fraiche, egg, and sugar in a bowl until smooth. Fold in nut mix.
• Arrange pear slices on puff pastry and cover with creme fraiche mixture.
• Bake tart in the preheated oven until the filling is lightly colored and pastry has puffed up and browned, about 25 minutes.

FRENCH PEAR TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• FOR TART DOUGH:
• Combine butter + 1/4 cup sugar in med bowl, mix till well-blended & then mix in the flour.
• Beat together vanilla + 2 eggs, add to flour mixture, mix till dough forms & chill for 10 minutes.
• Grease & flour bottom of 9-in tart pan w/removable bottom. Roll chilled dough 1-in larger than pan.
• Place dough in pan & press dough to sides of tart pan (It needs to come to the rim of the pan). Bake for 10 minutes.
• FOR CUSTARD:.
• Combine yolks + 2 eggs, beat well & set aside.
• Combine milk, cream + sugar & place in top of dbl-boiler. Cook over simmering water till temp reaches 140°F.
• Remove from heat, add egg mixture (whisking constantly) & strain.
• FOR TART ASSEMBLY: Arrange pear slices in tart shell. Pour custard mixture over pears till shell is almost full. Bake 25 min or till custard is set. Remove from heat & allow to stand for 30 minutes.
• TO SERVE: Cook jam & wine in a sml saucepan to form glaze. Brush glaze over tart, cool completely & refrigerate till ready to serve.

PEAR AND CUSTARD TART

Steps:

• Roll pie crust disk out on lightly-floured work surface to 1/8 inch thick round.
• Roll dough up on rolling pin and transfer to 9 inch in diameter tart pan with removable bottom.
• Gently press into place.
• Trim and finish edges.
• Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375F.
• Line pastry with foil and fill with pie weights or dry beans.
• Bake 15 minutes.
• Remove foil and weights and continue baking 10 more minutes.
• Cool.
• Arrange pears in pastry in concentric circles, overlapping slightly.
• Dot with butter; sprinkle with brown sugar; bake until pears are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Whisk light cream, egg, egg yolk, ¼ cup sugar and vanilla and almond extracts to blend.
• Pour over pears.
• Sprinkle lightly with ground nutmeg and cinnamon.
• Continue baking until custard is set, about 30 minutes.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.