Spiced Pear Tart with Caramel
This tart is warm and inviting but also has a bit of a bite from the spices. It is the perfect showstopper tart for a holiday dinner. If you want to bring something that looks classy, and you slaved away for hours this is the tart for you. Don’t worry it doesn’t actually take that long. The caramel isn’t necessary, but I personally think it just ties everything together. - Grace Wathen
INGREDIENTS
Yield 2 9-inch tarts
INGREDIENTS
For the Crust 3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar,
1 cup butter
2 egg yolks
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup ice water or as needed
Frangipane6 Tbs butter ( soft)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup almond meal
2 eggs
2 Tbs flour
1 Tbs vanilla
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tbs Cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Splash of Brandy ( optional)
Pears 2-3 poached pears
Caramel
1 cup Sugar, granulated
6 tablespoons Butter (Salted) , room temperature
1 cup Heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 teaspoon Sea salt
Splash of Brandy ( optional)
Directions:
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. For the crust combine the dry ingredients. Cup up the cold butter into small cubes. Incorporate the egg yolks into the dry ingredients. Start cutting in the butter. The butter should be small and pea-sized. Start to slowly add the cold water until a dough forms. ( add the water slowly ) . Place the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Step 2
Roll your dough out into a circle. Get your tart pan ( I prefer one that has a removable bottom) and cover it with your dough. Make sure all the gaps at the top of the pan are filled and crimp the edges. Place parchment paper on top of the crust and add pie weights or dried beans to blind bake your crust. Bake for 15 minutes or until almost golden.
Step 3
For the frangipane combine your butter and sugar in a mixer or with a whisk. Beat until nice and fluffy and add the rest of your ingredients. ( If you want the spices to be stronger add 1/2 tsp more at a time)
Step 4
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Put the pear in for 4 minutes and then remove and put in an ice bath. Slice the pears and make sure they do not have seeds in the slices.
Step 5
Take your crust and fill it with frangipane. Make sure it is nice and smooth. ( Pro tip- take a hot spoon or metal spatula to smooth it) . Place your pears in a design of your choosing. Sprinkle the top with sugar and bake 20-30 minutes or until golden
Step 6
For the caramel, heat a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the butter and sugar to it and keep on medium heat and stir. Melt the sugar and butter together and allow the sugar to get a dark golden color. This will take about 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn the sugar. Turn off the heat as soon as the sugar turns golden brown in color and starts to smoke and bubble. Immediately stir in the heavy cream slowly stirring continuously at the same time Keep stirring until you get a smooth caramel. Be careful when you add cream to the caramel as when you add cream the mixture will rapidly bubble and splutter as well. Since the mixture bubbles up, use a little bigger pan to make the caramel sauce. Once done add in the vanilla extract, sea salt brandy, and stir well to combine.
Drizzle the tar with the sauce and enjoy!
Recipe Source: Grace Wathen