I've gotten into the habit of making this tart each year when I have pears that need to be eaten quickly. My kids love pears, so this tart is gone usually the same day I make it! It's so easy- the crust is nothing like pie crust so it comes together really fast. It calls for pears, but I imagine it would be fantastic with apples or peaches as well. It smells so good when it's baking! If there are any leftovers after dessert, it makes for a lovely breakfast too!
The tart is delicious in itself, but if you drizzle it with caramel and top with vanilla ice cream, it's spectacular.
I found the original recipe in an old Women's Day magazine. I tell you what- I've found more amazing recipes from Women's Day than I have any other magazine- even the cooking ones! Love it.
If you don't have a tart pan, just use a pie pan instead. Although I show you below why Tart Pans are so cool...
Easy Pear Tart
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 3-4 Bosc or Barlett pears
- cinnamon-sugar, for sprinkling on top
Note: I've never used all 4 pears! In the photos below, I used just over 2 pears. I could have topped the tart with the remaining slices of pear #3 and it would have still tasted great. Maybe if you use a pie pan instead of a tart pan, the 4th pear will fit?!
glaze:
- 1/4 cup(s) apricot jam
- 1 tablespoon(s) fresh lemon juice
- sliced almonds for topping
Heat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9- to 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
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| My pears look a little sad- they're actually perfect for this tart though! Ripe pears result in sweet, soft fruit on the tart. YUM. |
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy; beat in the egg and almond extract. {Try not to leave out the almond extract- it adds such a nice, subtle flavor that really adds so much to this dessert!}
See my Wilton Tart Pan? This is why tart pans are so cool! Mine was a mother's day gift several years ago- I love it!
Reduce the mixer speed to medium and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until fully incorporated (the dough will be very soft).
Using a small spatula, spread the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. If you are using a tart pan, there's no need to try and shape the dough at all. It puffs up while baking, so I have a feeling any shaping you'd do would be lost.
However, if you're using a pie pan instead, you might want to attempt to smooth the top edges of your tart. It's certainly not necessary though!
Peel, core, and cut each pear into 1 1/2- to 2-inch wedges. An apple slicer makes this process a lot easier- just slice it, then take a paring knife to the slices to remove the skin.
Arrange one ring of pears with the tips pointing toward the center and slightly overlapping them on top of the dough. For the first layer, gently press them into the dough a bit. Try and leave about 1/2" around the edges for the crust to puff up- it holds the pears in nicely this way.
Top with another ring, working in the opposite direction. Do the best you can- I seem to lose sight of my circles 3/4 of the way around. It still ends up looking great!
Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. I like my cinnamon sugar heavy on the cinnamon. I keep mine in a shaker- it's super handy!
Bake until the crust is golden brown and the pears are tender, 60 to 70 minutes. Check the tart 40-45 minutes in- I always need to lay a piece of foil over the top to slow the browning. Let cool for 1 hour.
Glaze with the jam-lemon juice mixture that's been heated to combine. I like using syrup instead- I have this Golden Apply Syrup given to me from South Ridge Farms {one of our sponsors!} and it's perfect for this! It adds a touch of shine and sweetness to the top.
Enjoy!
