Really, I
have to call it simply, "Pear Tart."
Because
what it really is just doesn't make for a good name;
wine-poached-pears-stuffed-with-almond-praline-atop-a-marzipan-yoghurt-custard-tart
just doesn’t flow
off your tongue, does it?
How did
this happen? This is what comes from having a day off (not planning to cook)
and deciding to clean out the fridge and cupboards.
Yoghurt.
How long has that been in there? When did Lisa and Charlie visit...? We got it
for them… It
still smells good…
Marzipan.
Bought it last Christmas to make cocoa-marzipan balls. That didn't happen. Now
the tube of marzipan feels more like a billy club - so hard I could use it to
tenderize meat. While it is probably past its expiration date (I didn’t look, but assume because of its
hardness), I was confident that it wasn't "bad" or dangerous to eat.
Well, it might be dangerous to your teeth....
Six tiny
pears from last week's farmers market. I had to do something with them. Pears
don't last forever, and these were beginning to get spots.
A jar of
much loved and coveted
almond praline made by
Joël Durand in
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, a birthday gift from my favorite
Modern Trobadors. I
wasn't needing to clear this one out, but it
did give me an idea. This is how
my mind works:
Core the
pears (partially, leaving the stems intact). Poach them. Drain, cool, and stuff
them with almond praline. Brilliant. But, then what?
Ooh. A
tart. A custard tart. No cream in the house. Yoghurt... of course! Wait ... can
you use yoghurt to make a custard? Will it curdle? I guess we will find out.
Grind
some almonds to mix with the yoghurt and... (insert epiphany here!) ... No, grate
the marzipan billy club to use in the custard. Add eggs, some sugar, a touch of
vanilla, fill a pastry crust, pop the stuffed pears on top, bake, glaze pears
with marmalade, and, voilà, dessert.
The last
two pieces of this one got tested by colleagues Lisa and Chris. Both gave it two
thumbs up. Chris, in a moment of "look what I have!" sent a cell
phone shot to his wife, who was home taking care of their two toddlers. Etiquette
fail, Chris.
While I
think everyone should have a jar of almond praline in their fridge, I am afraid
the world is an unfair place. The good news is that stuffing the pears with
some thick raspberry or blackberry jam is an unbelievably good substitute. Or
simply make a fruit and nut purée.
That is
the beauty of making things up. The fantasy can keep going, because you can't
always have the perfect ingredients on hand. Use fresh marzipan to make
this, or ground almonds mixed with butter and sugar. You can use cream in the
custard. You don't have to stuff the pears - in fact, you can just top it with pear or peach slices or fresh
raspberries after you bake it.
Go wild!
Make it your own! Have some fun in that kitchen on your day off!
~ David
Pear Tart
Poached
Pears
6 small
Seckel pears, peeled
1 750ml
bottle sweet white wine
1/2 cup
sugar
1
teaspoon vanilla
Partially
core pears leaving the stem end in tact.
Place
wine, sugar, and vanilla in a large saucepan. Fill the wine bottle with water and
add it to the saucepan. Add pears, bring to a boil, reduce heat and poach until
pears are tender. This will depend on the ripeness of your pears - from 20-45
minutes. Drain, and set aside to cool.
Crust
1 1/3
cups flour
1
tablespoon sugar
8
tablespoons unsalted butter
1 egg
yolk
ice water
Place the
flour and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and, using the steel blade, use
once to combine. Add butter in 8 pieces, and pulse 10 times. Place egg yolk into
a 1/4-cup measure, break it up with a fork, and then fill the rest of the
measure with ice water. Sprinkle this atop the flour and butter, then process
until a ball of dough forms around the blade. (You don't need to clean the
processor for the next step)
Roll
dough into an 11-inch round and use it to line a 9-inch tart pan (with
removable bottom). Trim the edges and chill till ready to fill.
Filling
7 ounces
marzipan
3
tablespoons flour
1/4 cup
sugar
1 cup
Greek (or Greek-style yogurt)
2 eggs
1/2
teaspoon vanilla
Using the
coarse holes on a box grater, grate the marzipan into the bowl of a food
processor fitted with the steel blade (same one used to make the crust). Then
add the 3 tablespoons flour and sugar and process until the mixture resembles
sand. Add yogurt, eggs, and vanilla, and process until smooth. Set aside.
Finishing
3
tablespoons almond praline or other filling of choice
2
tablespoons orange marmalade
Preheat
oven to 350°F.
Stuff a
heaping teaspoon of praline into the cavity of each pear. Set stuffed pears
aside on their sides so that the stuffing doesn’t ooze out.
Remove
crust from the refrigerator, and pour filling into crust. Arrange pears, bottom-side
down, evenly around the tart in a circle.
Bake for 30-35
minutes. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.
Melt the
two tablespoons of marmalade in a small saucepan. While the tart is still very
hot, using a pastry brush, brush the pears with melted marmalade being careful
not to get it on the custard.
Allow to
cool completely before serving.
Serves
6-8 (if 8, not everyone will get a whole pear!)
Labels: custard tart, marzipan, poached pears, stuffed poached pears, yogurt custard tart