Fresh Pear Tart

This is one of our favorite dessert recipes from the Moosewood Restaurant Cookbook. It is rich, but has a mild taste and it is not too sweet.

I usually arrange the pears in a fan as instructed in the recipe. My daughter, who studied pastry in France, pressed down horizontally sliced pear halves in a way which made the tart look like it came from a patisserie.




Fresh Pear Tart

1 unbaked 10 inch pie shell

Custard:

6 T. unbleached white flour
1/2 t. nutmeg (we use cinnamon)
12 ounces of butter!
2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 t. pure vanilla or almond extract

3 medium pears, peeled

Sift together the flour and nutmeg. Melt the butter. Remove it from the heat and add the sugar. Whisk in the flour-nutmeg mixture. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, then the extract. At this point the custard should be thick and smooth.

Cut the pears into eighths, lengthwise. Core the slices and arrange them in the pie shell. Cover with the custard. Bake at 350 f. for 45-50 minutes until the custard is firm and golden.


Beautiful and delicious!