Pear Tart With Cornmeal Crust Recipes

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.

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.

CARAMELIZED PEAR TART WITH CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• Make dough:
• In a bowl whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt. Cut butter into 1/2-inch cubes and add to flour mixture. With your fingertips or a pastry blender blend in butter until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with remainder in small (roughly pea-size) lumps. Drizzle 4 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork until incorporated. Test mixture by gently squeezing a small handful: When it has proper texture it should hold together without crumbling apart. If necessary, add enough remaining water, 1 teaspoon at a time, stirring until incorporated and testing, to give mixture proper texture. (If you overwork mixture or add too much water, pastry will be tough.)
• Turn mixture out onto a work surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of hand smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together and form it, rotating it on work surface, into a disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour, and up to 1 day.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Make caramelized pears:
• Peel pears and halve lengthwise. Cut each half into 3 wedges and core. In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet melt butter over moderate heat and stir in sugar. Cook mixture, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is golden, about 6 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and let mixture stand until it begins to firm up, about 3 minutes. Arrange pears, rounded sides down, as close together as possible in 2 concentric circles in skillet.
• On a lightly floured surface roll out dough into a 15-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) and cut out an 11-inch round. Drape round over pears, tucking edge around pears, and with a fork prick dough in several places. Bake tart in middle of oven until pastry is golden and cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool tart in skillet on a rack 15 minutes.
• Invert a rimmed serving plate slightly larger than skillet over skillet and, wearing oven mitts and keeping plate firmly pressed against skillet, invert tart onto plate. Arrange any loose pears on tart and spoon sauce from plate onto tart. Serve tart warm or at room temperature.

CINNAMON-PEAR RUSTIC TART

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix flour and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Gradually add ice water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Shape into a disk; wrap. Refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight., Preheat oven to 375°. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add pears and cinnamon; cook and stir until tender, 2-3 minutes. Stir in cider and brown sugar. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in vanilla; cool slightly., On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 14-in. circle. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet., Spoon filling over crust to within 2 in. of edge. Fold crust edge over filling, pleating as you go and leaving an opening in the center. Brush folded crust with water; sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbly, 45-50 minutes. Transfer tart to a wire rack to cool.

PEAR TART WITH SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) and place a rack in the center of the oven. Spray a 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
• Place flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor; pulse to blend together. Add butter and pulse until dough just begins to come together.
• Pat the dough onto the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while making the filling.
• Process cream cheese in the food processor until smooth. Add sugar and mix well. Blend in egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Spread filling over the chilled crust. Arrange pear halves on top.
• Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; sprinkle over pears.
• Bake tart in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and bake until crust is browned and filling is almost set, 25 to 30 minutes more.
• Cool tart for about 20 minutes on a wire rack. Run a sharp, thin knife around the edges to remove the springform ring. Cool to room temperature before serving.

CARMELIZED UPSIDE-DOWN PEAR TART

Steps:

• Peel and halve pears, the core (preferably with a melon-ball cutter). Heat butter in a 9- to 10-inch well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then stir in sugar (sugar will not be dissolved). Arrange pears, cut sides up, in skillet with wide parts at rim of skillet. Sprinkle pears with cinnamon and cook, undisturbed, until sugar turns a deep golden caramel. (This can take as little as 10 minutes or as much as 25, depending on pears, skillets, and stove.) Cool pears completely in skillet.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 12-inch round and trim to a 9 1/2- to 10 1/2-inch round. Arrange pastry over caramelized pears, tucking edge around pears inside rim of skillet. Bake tart until pastry is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Cook on rack 5 minutes.
• Invert a rimmed serving plate (slightly larger than skillet) over skillet and, using pot holders to hold skillet and plate tightly together, invert tart onto plate. Serve tart warm or at room temperature.

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.

CORNMEAL TART DOUGH

Steps:

• Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor; pulse several times. Add butter; process until mixture is the consistency of coarse meal, about 7 seconds. With motor running, add yolks and enough ice water so dough comes together. Do not overmix.
• Divide dough in half; press to flatten into disks. Wrap each in plastic; chill at least 30 minutes or overnight.