Recipe by Caprial Pence and Melissa
Carey from the cookbook, Caprial's Desserts.
The combination of the graham flour in the crust
and the creamy texture of the pears and caramel is sublime.
Photo courtesy of Ashley and her
web site, eat me, delicious.
This
delicious Caramel-Pear Tart recipe and dinner menu were generously shared with my by Linda Sandberg of
Newberg, OR. Linda belongs to a Gourmet Dinner Group that delights in making
wonderful foods that they share together. Check out
A Night of Comfort (Updated Comfort Food Dinner) which includes this
recipe.
More great
Pear Recipes.
Caramel-Pear Tart with Graham Shortbread Crust
Recipe Type:
Pie
and Tarts,
Pears,
Wine,
Caramelizing Sugar
Yields: 12 servings
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients:
Poached Pears (see recipe below)
Graham Shortbread Crust (see recipe below)
Caramel Filling (see recipe below)
Whipped Cream
Preparation:
Prepare Poached Pears and
refrigerate overnight.
Prepare Graham Shortbread Crust.
Prepare the Caramel Filling.
Preheat oven
to 350 degrees F.
To Assemble the Tart:
Cut the
poached pears into 1/4-inch thick slices, reserving the poaching liquid for
another use.
Arrange
the pear slices in concentric circles in the cooled Graham Shortbread Crust.
Pour the lukewarm Caramel Filling over the pears in the crust. Bake until
the Caramel Flling is bubbly, approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from
oven let cool for about 20 minutes before serving.
Serve warm with softly whipped cream.
Makes 12 servings.
Poached
Pears:
5 cups white
wine
1 cup granulated
sugar
Finely-grated
zest of 1 orange
1 cinnamon stick
1 (1-inch thick) slice of fresh ginger
5 or 6 firm pears, peeled, halved and cored
In a heavy
saucepan over high heat, combine the wine, sugar, orange zest, cinnamon stick,
and ginger; bring to a boil and add the halved pears. Lower heat to medium and
poach the pears until fork tender, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from
heat. Cool the pears in the liquid and refrigerate until ready to use. (For the best flavor, refrigerate
them in the liquid overnight, if possible.)
Graham Shortbread Crust:
1 1/2 cups
flour
1/2 cup graham flour*
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter, diced
* Graham flour makes this variation taste like a grown-up graham cracker.
Preheat
oven to 375 degrees F.
In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, graham flour, powdered sugar, vanilla
extract, and salt. With the motor running, slowly
add the butter and process until the dough forms a ball on top of the blade.
Remove the dough from the food processor; if it's too soft to work with,
refrigerate until it's easier to handle.
Press the dough into a well-greased 10-inch tart pan. (The easiest way to do this is to first press it
into the sides of the pan, then finish with the bottom of the pan.) Bake just
until set but not brown, approximately 10 minutes; remove from oven and let cool
completely.
Makes enough for one 9- to 10-inch tart
Caramel Filling:
1 1/2 cups granulated
sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup heavy whipping
cream
1/4 cup pear brandy
1
egg
, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
In a large
sauté pan with sides or a heavy saucepan, add the sugar. Carefully moisten the
sugar with the water, being very careful not to splash the water and sugar onto
the sides of the pan.
Over high heat, cook the sugar mixture, without stirring, until you start to see any part
of it turning brown, then swirl the pan to even out the color. Cook until golden
brown, approximately 2 minutes longer.
Slowly and carefully add the cream to the hot sugar, taking care to pour it in slowly
because it will bubble up very violently. Add the brandy and cook, without
stirring, until the caramelized sugar has liquefied again and the mixture is
very smooth and a deep golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool until
lukewarm. Then whisk in the egg and nutmeg.
