The leaves are starting to fall, and the Pears and Apples are finally ripe: it’s time to start BAKING!
The season of pies and tarts are upon us! There are many recipes to choose from: Apple, Pear, Pumpkin, Peach and a multitude of other kinds and combinations! For my first dessert of the season I chose a Cranberry and Pear Tart that I had been wanting to bake for quite some time but was forced wait for fall and fresh pears!
The most important part of a good tart is the crust. It’s almost half the tart! Different from a pie crust, a tart crust has eggs in it so it is more dense with a soft texture. The sweetness varies with different recipes.
I used a fluted tart pan which is what gives the tart that traditional look, but also made it hard to get out without damage done to the beautiful crust. I did not have a pan with a removable bottom, but I would highly recommend one.
Just be sure to un-stick all the edges of the pan from the crust before attempting to take out!
This has been one of my favorite tarts to make. The Cranberry adds a wonderful tartness, with a lovely pink color. It was a pretty easy recipe that’s a fun way to use up your pears!
It had such a nice outcome that it is now a new family favorite! -Happy baking!
Cranberry Pear Tart with Almond Cream
- 6 Pear Halves
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 9 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter cut into small pieces
- 1 large egg yolk
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ¾ cup ground blanched almonds
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- For the Crust: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a 9 inch fluted tart pan and set aside.
- Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse twice. Add the pieces of cold butter to the dry mixture and pulse until mixture resembles coarse corn meal. Lightly beat the yolk and slowly add it to the flour mixture, pulsing after each addition. When the yolk has been added, pulse until dough begins to form large clumps. Remove dough from processor and knead it on a lightly floured surface until it is well combined.
- Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the buttered tart pan. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes before baking.
- Cover the tart with a buttered piece of aluminum foil. Bake on the center rack of preheated oven for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and cool.
- For the Almond Cream: Combine the butter and sugar in a food processor until smooth. Add the ground almonds, flour, and cornstarch being sure to process after the addition of each ingredient. Add the egg, vanilla, and spices and process until the almond cream is well combined.
- To assemble the tart: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread the almond cream evenly on the bottom of the baked crust. Thinly slice 6 to 8 pear halves crosswise. Scoop each half onto a spatula and slide it onto the almond cream in the center of the tart, placing the wide end of each pear toward the edge of the crust. Gently press down on the pear to fan out the slices forming a circle of pear spokes in the center of the tart. Pour the cranberries over the almond cream and arrange evenly over the tart.
- Bake the tart for 50 to 60 minutes or until the almond cream is puffy and golden. Cool tart on a wire rack and serve at room temperature. -Enjoy!
Leviticus 26:4 Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
~Jean
Rosehaven Homestead 
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