Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Pear Tart with Pecan Crust


I seem to be a little fruity lately. Enjoying a lot of fruit in desserts, that is!

This past weekend, we had friends over for dessert after eating at one of our favorite restaurants together on Saturday night.  One of those friends had given me this recipe for pear tart that she was served at a relative's home recently.  She gave me the recipe and I thought I'd surprise her by making it. I'm sorry I don't know the original source of the recipe. I tried a web search but never found an exact match.


The pecan crust is simply patted into a tart pan with removable bottom.  Pears are sliced and tossed together with sugar, cornstarch and ginger.  The recipe called for dried ginger but I decided to use lots of crystallized ginger instead. Next time, I think I'll add some freshly grated ginger along with the crystallized ginger.


The juice from the pears and the cornstarch combine while baking to make a thickened sauce around the pears that was delicious.

A quick, simple and lovely recipe that is a great way to use the beautiful fall crop of pears that you'll find at the farmers' markets and grocery stores right now.


Pear Tart with Pecan Crust
Printable Recipe

You will need a tart pan with a removable bottom. Mine was about 9-10" wide.

For the Tart:

2 heaping teaspoons of crystallized ginger, chopped fine
2 tablespoons corn starch
2/3 cup sugar
6 pears (I used Bartlett but Anjou and Bosch would work well also), peeled, cored and cut into thick slices

For the Crust:

1/2 cup pecans, chopped fine in a food processor
1 cup flour
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine the crust ingredients in a medium bowl and cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or fork. Pat firmly into the bottom and sides of a tart pan with removable bottom.

Put the pear slices into a large bowl and add the sugar, corn starch and ginger and toss until mixed together.

Place the pears in concentric circles in the prepared tart crust starting at the outside and placing largest end of each slice toward the outside of the tart, placing them as tightly together as you can. Continue with a second row overlapping the first row by about one inch. Continue until the tart pan is full of pears, using small pieces to fill the center.

Bake in preheated oven for 45-55 minutes. Remove and allow to cool before serving.

34 comments:

  1. Just beautiful, I'm sure everyone loved it! I think tarts make the prettiest presentations:@)

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  2. It is very impressive Susan, and I might just surprise a friend soon. She loves anything with pears.

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  3. Oh, what a pretty dessert and I can imagine the sweet thickened sauce around the pears :)

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  4. I love pear tart. Wouldn't mind two slices of these! Looks really good!

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  5. The crust sounds delicious and the whole tart screams
    "fall". There are pears on my counter and pecans in the pantry. I was just looking through my recipe file and took a break to visit my blog friends. Now I have my recipe. Thanks!

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  6. I love this, almost as much as the apple tart.

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  7. You could open up a place of your own, everything you turn out is so beautiful. The tart sounds wonderful and the crust would have a little crunch I'm guessing- delightful. I'll be back to get this recipe :)

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  8. Fabulous! This looks SO tasty! :)

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  9. Beautiful! Great job with arranging the topping :). Looks so delicious and fall-ready.

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  10. Beautiful tart! Looks really good!

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  11. I'm looking forward to trying your crust recipe, Susan. Pear tart is one of my favorite fall desserts and I love that you added some crystallized ginger to the filling.

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  12. It looks exactly like the kind of tart I love to eat.. so artistic too Susan..Love it..Pecan crusts are so flavorful!

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  13. wow...puts my pear tart to shame!! that's gorgeous!

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  14. That looks heavenly or perhaps it's only because pears are my favorite fruit...

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  15. I think you have a touch with tarts. This one is exquisite just like the previous one.

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  16. So so lovely!!! I can never get too much tart in my life! I love the pecan crust!

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  17. Susan, I just love nut crusts, I think they add so much to a fruit pie. Your pear tart looks perfect, can't wait to give it a try with my pears this weekend!

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  18. Yum! Pears and ginger is one of my favorite combinations- I actually love crystallized ginger in anything! I'm getting ready to post a bread I made today with it.
    This tart is just beautiful! I've been using up all the pears I put up last year so I can do it again! :)
    xoxo Pattie

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  19. this is beautiful. the butter should be cold right?

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  20. Thank you all for your kind comments!

    Yes, Angry, the butter should be cold just as for a regular pie crust preparation. I'll add that to the recipe, thank you!

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  21. Lovely!
    Pears are my favorite fruit...and i like it very much the pecan crust!
    Perfume and noblesse!

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  22. Oooh this looks fantastic!! I love pears and I love the sound of a pecan crust. I've never tried that but certainly will have to.

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  23. If this tastes as good as it looks, you have got yourself a winner.

    Plan B

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  24. This is gorgeous. I just love tarts...so simple, yet such romantic appeal!

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  25. Your tart is gorgeous! I love the pears with ginger in this, and the pecan crust sounds like the perfect complement. So elegant!

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  26. What a fabulous tart, Susan! I'm going to steal that pecan crust idea...how marvelous. I can't wait to try it! And pears and ginger are naturals together.

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  27. Fruit desserts are my favorite. I prefer them over any luscious and decadent desserts. This pear tart with a pecan crust looks divine.

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  28. Just a few hours ago I was looking at the basket of beautiful fresh pears on my counter and had the urge to make a pear tart! I think I just found the winning recipe! :)

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  29. Susan, this is gorgeous. It reminds me of one that a friend in York made for us. I loved watching her make it--it seemed effortless. Thanks for the recipe!

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  30. Hi,
    I made it yesterday and it was a big hit.
    I have made afew changes, brown sugar since it caremelizes better, a dash of cinnamon and after the tart its baked, I warmed up 2tb of pear jum with 1 Tb of water and brushed over the pears

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  31. Thank you for letting me know, Taste Advisor and glad it was a hit! I really like your ideas of using brown sugar and the pear jam.

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  32. Please tell me what size tart pan???? Have all ingredients, would love to try!!

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    1. I believe the tart pan I used is about 10" wide. Thanks for letting me know that is missing - I'll add that to the recipe!

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