Rustic Free Form Pear Tart

If you're like me who thinks all things pastry in general are a pain to make, this free form rustic tart may just change your mind!  This is one easy and delicious tart to make at home. I especially like the fact that I don't need to line a tart tin let alone needing one, but just roll the pastry into a rough circle and fold up the edges. And it's okay if it's uneven and knobbly, because rustic and homey is what we want.  I've got to say, I'm pretty pleased with this pear tart. It didn't get soggy like what I expected -  the filling was oozing pear juices and was bubbling away during baking. Instead,  the crust was deliciously buttery and crisp. The pears all soft and fragrant and  the juices thicken up nicely upon cooling. A delight to eat and eat..... and eat.

I am submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #10: Easy as Pie (August 2011), hosted by Janine of Not the Kitchen Sink! If you would like to join, please see details here.

Rustic Pear Tart
Recipe adapted from here for the pastry and here for the filling.

Ingredients

Shortcrust Pastry:
250g plain flour
125g salted butter, chilled, finely chopped
80g icing sugar
2 egg yolks, chilled
1 tbs water, chilled


Filling:
3 medium pears

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp cornflour

3 tbsps light brown sugar

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Method

For the pastry:

1) Process flour and butter in a food processor until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Then, pour into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the icing sugar.

2)Whisk egg yolks and 1 tbs chilled water in a bowl until combined, add to flour mixture. Mix until mixture begins to form large clumps. 

3) Turn pastry out on to a work surface and knead gently to bring together into a ball. Form into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.

For the pear tart:

1) In the meantime, preheat the oven to 220°C.

2) Peel the pears, core them and cut into 0.5cm slices. In a large bowl toss the pear slices with the lemon juice. Sprinkle in the cornflour, brown sugar and cinnamon and toss until the pears are evenly coated. Set aside.

3) On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a large circle about 23cm in diameter. Line a baking tray with baking paper, and draping the dough over the rolling pin, transfer to the prepared baking tray. If the dough breaks at all patch it up with your fingers.

4) Arrange the pears in a mound in the center of the dough (discard leftover juices), leaving a 5cm border. Fold the border over the filling. It will only cover the pears partially and does not need to be even. Brush pastry with egg wash.

5) Bake the tart for 15 minutes, and then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C, keeping the tart in the oven all the while, and bake for another 40 minutes, until the pears are tender and the crust is golden brown. Glaze with thick sugar syrup or honey mixed with a little water.

Mazarin Tarts

Mazarin tarts are small Swedish almond tarts, oval shaped with a tender buttery crust and an even more buttery and moist cake-like almond filling, topped with sweet icing sugar glaze. Very fattening & rich but I absolutely love these delectable tarts and eating just one is never enough for me - I don't care even if they add extra inches to my thighs!  Unless I fly to Sweden, the only place I could get them is from Ikea Stores in Singapore and KL, both of which are sadly thousands of  miles away across the South China Sea from my place. Fortunately, I have a kind aunt who brings these tarts over whenever she comes to visit, but unfortunately, she does not visit often enough.  Thus, savouring these tarts is just a once-a-year indulgence for me. Not enough I say.   

I have bookmarked this Mazarin recipe for the longest time and had told myself to make many times over, but I just never did. Honestly, to me pastry in general is such tedious work - a real challenge to my lazy bones, not to mention the most unconducive hot weather we're experiencing these days! However much I dread pastry making,  I do not want to miss out this month's  Aspiring Bakers   (everyone is challenged to make pies and tarts and all things pastry), and for my entry I'd like to finally give this Mazarin recipe a try.  And boy did all that 'hard' work paid off!  My homemade tarts were deliciously buttery and utterly moist with a bright hint of refreshing orange zest. Totally yum! What's more, my opinionated Mom raved about them and said they were better than those from Ikea! 

*Smug smile*     

I am submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #10: Easy as Pie (August 2011), hosted by Janine of Not the Kitchen Sink! If you would like to join, see details here.

 

Mazarin Tarts

(Recipe adapted from here)

Wish I have oval shaped tins!

Makes about 15 tarts
 

Crust: 
150g flour
80g sugar
110 g butter
1 egg yolk

1 tsp rum

Filling:  

100g butter 

100g sugar 

2 eggs 

150g ground almonds
finely grated zest of 1 orange 

Glaze:

150g icing sugar

about 3 Tbs water 

Method:

Make tart crust: 

Using a food processor, blitz the flour, sugar and butter together until crumbly. Add the lightly beaten egg yolk and rum and blitz again, just until dough forms. Tip the dough out, gather into a ball then flatten into a disk. Wrap the dough/disk in cling wrap and place in refrigerator to rest & firm up for at least half an hour. Pinch a small ball of dough and press evenly into each tart tins.

Make Filling:
Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly. Mix in grated orange zest and then gently fold in the ground almonds. Fill the tart shells with the  almond batter, smooth surface and then bake in the oven at 175 °C for about 20 minutes or till the tops turn a crisp golden brown and skewer comes out clean when tested. Wait till the tarts cool before glazing - the filling is likely to sink slightly during cooling.  

Make Glaze:
For the glaze, mix 3 tablespoons water with  the icing sugar to a spreadable consistency.  With the back of a spoon thinly cover the the tops of the cooled tarts with glaze. Let the glaze set and harden.