As the winter months begin to roll in, and the first snows are popping up, my mind dreams of sitting by the fire with a slice of apple or pear tart, and a cup of tea… Now pear aren’t what you’d think of as winter fruit, I know. Like apples, though, late harvest varieties are around through December. And they keep longer than most other fresh fruits, well into early to mid winter, giving you an alternative to apples to bake with.
I fell in love with this delicious and fairly easy pear tart. It is loaded with butter and sweet preserves to warm the cold edges of winter. Take a look and try this recipe out. I think you will love it as much as I do.
FRENCH PEAR TART
Ingredients
- Crust
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour * You can use gluten free flour here
- 5 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 12 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- Filling
- 8 large pears washed
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp water
- ¾ cup fig preserves or your favorite preserves
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- 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, peel and slice five pears into 1/8-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 1½ 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!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
