Pears are plentiful and gorgeous this time of year, so pick up a few extra and make a delightfully simple dessert. Le Poirat, or simply Pear Tart, is a traditional French dessert that is certain to warm your soul.
Enjoy!
Le Poirat
For the pastry:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup walnuts, ground fine
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
5 ounces unsalted butter-soft
Filling:
1 1/2 pounds pears choose firm pears. peeled, cored and quartered
1/4 cup sugar
a little fresh nutmeg
To make the pastry, mix the ground nuts with the flour and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Make a large well in the center. Put the sugar, butter and egg in the center of the well and quickly work it using fingertips of one hand until partly mixed. Gradually work in the flour mixture pulling the dough into large crumbs using fingertips. Mix the dough until smooth. Gather dough and place on floured surface. Using the heel of your hand, push the dough away, gather dough back up and push away with your heel again. This is a quick way of distributing the ingredients evenly, and is fun too! Press the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic. Chill for 20 minutes before using.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll out 2/3 of the pastry and line a 9″ tart shell. Arrange the quartered pears in a spiral in the tart shell. Fill the center with the remaining pears. Sprinkle with the sugar and fresh nutmeg. Roll out the remaining dough and cut a circle to fit the top of the tart. Wet the bottom crust lightly and cover the pears with the circle of dough. Press the top piece of dough gently along the edges to adhere to the bottom crust. Crimp the edges and chill the tart for 10 minutes. Brush the top of the tart with water and sprinkle with a little sugar. Bake for 40-50 minutes until crust is well browned and pears are tender. Serve warm with whipped cream.
Andrea Charroin was a trained baker and pastry chef in San Francisco before she and her family moved to Redding 11 years ago. After falling in love with Redding’s downtown, Andrea and husband Westley opened a little pastry shop, Rene-Joule Patisserie, across from the Cascade Theatre. For the three years Rene-Joule was in business, it was renowned for making everything from scratch, using the best ingredients and keeping with a seasonal menu. To this day, Andrea is asked about her Marathon Bars, Orange Twists and sourdough bread.
Copyright 2009 Andrea R. Charroin. Visit her blog at bakerslove.typepad.com
