Madiran Tart With Wine Soaked Pears Food

PEAR TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. Beat butter, sugar and cinnamon until crumbly. Beat in flour and walnuts. Press onto bottom and up sides of a 9-in. fluted tart pan with a removable bottom coated with cooking spray., For filling, beat cream cheese and 1/4 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Spread into crust. Arrange pears over top. Mix cinnamon and remaining sugar; sprinkle over pears., Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 350°; bake until filling is set, 15-20 minutes. Cool 1 hour on a wire rack. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

PEAR AND ALMOND TART

Steps:

• 1. To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt onto a work surface and make a well in the centre. put the butter into the well and, using a pecking action with your fingertips and thumb, work it until it is very soft. Add the icing sugar to the butter and mix. Add the eggs to the butter and mix well. 2. gradually incorporate the flour, flicking it onto the mixture and then chopping through it until you have a rough dough. Bring together with your hands and then knead a few times to make a smooth dough. Roll into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and put in the fridge for at least 1 hour. 3. To make the almond filling, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract together until pale and creamy. Beat in the eggs gradually and then fold in the almonds, lemon zest and flour. 4. preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F/gas 5). Roll out the pastry to line a 23 × 2.5 cm (9 × 1 in) round loose-based fluted tart tin. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes. 5. put the sugar and vanilla pod in a saucepan. Add the pears and pour in just enough water to cover them, then remove the pears. Bring the water to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add the pears, cover and poach for 5-10 minutes until tender. drain and leave to cool. 6. Line the pastry shell with a crumpled piece of greaseproof paper and baking beads (use dried beans or rice if you don't have beads). Blind bake the pastry for 10 minutes, remove the paper and beads and bake for a further 3-5 minutes, or until the pastry is just cooked but still very pale. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F/gas 4). 7. Spread three-quarters of the filling in the pastry shell and put the pear halves on top, cut-side-down and stalk ends in the middle. Fill the gaps with the remaining filling. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the filling is golden and firm. Melt the jam with 1 teaspoon water, sieve out any lumps and brush over the pears to make them shine.

POACHED PEARS IN SPICED RED WINE

Steps:

• Halve the vanilla pod lengthways, scrape out the black seeds and put in a large saucepan with the wine, sugar, cinnamon and thyme. Cut each piece of pod into three long thin strips, add to pan, then lower in the pears.
• Poach the pears, covered, for 20-30 mins, making sure they are covered in the wine. The cooking time will very much depend on the ripeness of your pears - they should be tender all the way through when pierced with a cocktail stick. You can make these up to 2 days ahead and chill.
• Take the pears from the pan, then boil the liquid to reduce it by half so that it's syrupy. Serve each pear with the cooled syrup, a strip of vanilla, a piece of cinnamon and a small thyme sprig.

RUSTIC AUTUMN FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Cut the cold butter and cream cheese into the flour with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (This can also be done in a food processor: pulse the cold butter into the flour until the mixture resembles cornmeal; add the cream cheese and pulse until it's the size of small peas.) When you squeeze a handful of the mixture, it should form a ball. Shape the dough into a round disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Toss the sliced apples and pear with the orange juice. Whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and cornstarch. Toss the fruit with the sugar-spice mixture and set aside.
• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Set out an 8-inch tart pan, or, if you'll be making a free-form tart (galette), lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured work surface to form a 10-inch circle. Transfer the dough to the tart pan or baking sheet. Arrange the fruit decoratively in the tart pastry. If you're baking the tart on a baking sheet, leave a 2-inch rim of dough and fold it up over the edge of the fruit (the pastry folds will overlap).
• Bake the tart in the preheated oven until the crust is browned and the filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and brush it with the apricot jam.

MADIRAN TART WITH WINE-SOAKED PEARS

Steps:

• Pour wine into a 4-quart saucepan, add 2/3 cup water, 1/3 cup sugar, citrus zests, cinnamon and half the vanilla scrapings (discards bean pods). Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and add pears. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate 48 hours.
• Place 2 cups of the wine marinade in a saucepan, and boil until reduced to 3/4 cup. Set aside.
• Cream 7 tablespoons butter, confectioners' sugar and almonds together. Lightly beat one egg, add to butter mixture, then fold in flour and remaining vanilla bean scrapings. Dough should be soft but not sticky. Form into a ball and flatten into a disk, dust with a little flour, and chill 45 minutes.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out pastry on a floured board, lightly dusting surface with a little flour as you roll. Line a 9-inch tart pan with pastry, line with foil and pastry weights, and bake 10 minutes. Remove weights and bake 10 minutes longer. Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce heat to 300 degrees.
• In heavy saucepan beat remaining granulated sugar, remaining egg and egg yolks together until thick and light. Whisk in the 3/4 cup wine, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until steam just begins to rise and mixture thickens to consistency of custard sauce. Do not overcook or eggs will curdle.
• Remove custard from heat and beat in remaining butter a little at a time. Pour into tart shell and bake 40 minutes, until set. Set aside until cooled to room temperature, then chill at least two hours.
• Drain pears. Slice thinly and rearrange on top of tart and serve, with remaining pears and wine sauce alongside.

PEAR TART

Steps:

• Place the currants in a small saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Allow them to boil for a minute and turn off the heat. Let them soak for about 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Combine flour, salt, and sugar, and cut in butter with a dough blender or 2 knives until it resembles a coarse meal. You can also use a food processor. Stir in egg yolks. Knead this mixture until smooth. This takes quite a bit of kneading (you might want to use 2 hands). Press the dough out on the bottom and sides of an 8 or 9-inch springform pan. Neatly finish the rim. In a large bowl, gently combine the pear slices with the lemon juice, spices, sugar, and currants. Carefully arrange the fruits in the crust. Dot with butter, sprinkle with sugar. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Cool and serve.

PEAR AND WALNUT TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Coarsely chop walnuts and in a shallow baking pan toast in middle of oven until a shade darker, about 4 minutes. (Leave oven on.) Peel, quarter, and core pears.
• In a deep 12-inch heavy skillet melt butter and sugar, stirring occasionally, and boil 1 minute. Add pears and cook over moderate heat, turning pears occasionally (be careful not to break them) and gently stirring syrup, until pears are glazed and syrup begins to thicken, about 20 minutes. Stir in rum and lemon juice and simmer, turning pears and gently stirring frequently, until most of syrup is evaporated and pears are tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• Arrange pears, cored sides up, in a 10-inch (1 1/2-quart) glass pie plate and sprinkle with walnuts.
• On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out dough into a 12-inch round (a scant 1/4 inch thick) and drape over pears. Tuck edge between pears and rim of dish and with a knife cut several steam vents in pastry. Bake tart in middle of oven 20 minutes, or until juices are bubbling and crust is golden brown.
• Have ready a rimmed serving plate slightly larger than pie plate. Let tart stand 5 minutes.
• Invert serving plate over pie plate and, wearing oven mitts and keeping plates firmly pressed together, invert tart onto serving plate. Serve pear and walnut tart warm or at room temperature.

PEAR TART

Steps:

• Combine walnuts and dates in food processor. Make sure you remove pits if dates have them and cut off end where stem was. Process until well mixed and ground, but not smooth. About 40 seconds. It should be a coarse texture when done. Press evenly into a 9 inch tart pan. Set in refrigerator while making the filling.
• Squeeze the juice out of the lemon and combine with water in a bowl.
• Slice pears by cutting into quarters. Cut out core and slice crosswise in 1/4 inch thick slices. Put into lemon water while you finish cutting pears. Drain well in colander when done.
• Place pears in a large skillet with rest of the ingredients (excluding almonds) and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently on medium heat.
• Remove pears with a slotted spoon from hot pan to a bowl and cool completely.
• Add in almonds and then reduce liquid to about half the volume and cool separately.
• Spread pears evenly over crust. Brush syrup over pears.
• Can be served right away or will keep in refrigerator until needed. Keep tart covered in refrigerator so it doesn't pick up moisture. Top with a little vanilla yogurt if desired.

WHITE WINE-POACHED PEARS

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients but pears in a large saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Add pears, lower heat, and cook 20 to 30 minutes, until pears are tender. If necessary, turn pears very gently by rotating stems with your fingertips so they cook evenly. Remove pears to a bowl, bring poaching liquid to a rapid boil, and reduce by half, about 10 minutes.
• Pour syrup over pears and refrigerate, covered, at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. Serve.

SCANDINAVIAN PEAR TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Coat a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray.
• Beat sugar and butter together in a small bowl until crumbly. Beat in flour and almonds. Press over the bottom and up the sides of the prepared tart pan.
• Beat cream cheese in another small bowl until smooth. Beat in sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Spread over the crust. Arrange pear slices over the cream cheese layer.
• Combine sugar, cardamom, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the pears.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking until filling is set and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 160 degrees F (71 degrees C), 15 to 20 minutes.
• Cool tart on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing.