Perky Pear Tart

Well, another week is upon us and since I’ll be feasting on Easter candy for weeks to come (I didn't really get that much, I’m just somewhat of a candy hoarder and it takes me a while to deplete my stash), it’s only fitting that this week I’ll be sharing all the delicious recipes I got to try out over the weekend.

I’ve always enjoyed family gatherings, but since I’ve begun to expand my cooking horizons, I love them even more as they provide me with the rare opportunity to try out multiple recipes on an array of different taste pallets. Since Sister and I have been deemed “the bakers” of the family, we typically assume the responsibility of bringing desserts. Sister, however, hasn’t had time to bake since her last attempt to unseat me as the favorite (my muffins were very well received by the way) so I took over all the baking responsibilities this time around. I had already been eyeing one dessert recipe for some time and just needed to settle on a chocolate accompaniment (Mother gets angry if there is no chocolate-based confection in the midst). Both the desserts I chose ended up being new challenges for me, but I emerged triumphant in the end.

Today’s dish, the pear tart, caught my eye a month or so ago during my weekend paper reading. The elderly person that I’m convinced lives inside of me loves getting the paper delivered every weekend (it's like Christmas when I wake up and it's magically in front of my door....I say magically because I live in a secured access building and have yet to figure out who puts the paper in front of my door at 7am) and periodically I’ll find a recipe that catches my eye. When I saw this one, I knew it would be perfect for Easter dinner. I made a super simple apple tart as part of my Thanksgiving dessert ensemble (this was pre-blog but I promise to share the recipe when apple season rolls around again) and since it was so well received, I hoped the same would be true for this one. The only wild card at these family gatherings is my Grandmother. At 86, she's very much set in her ways with what she likes to eat and is not afraid to tell you otherwise. Luckily for my ego, the pear tart was well received by all and I was able to survive the day without becoming hysterical.

Pear Tart

(Courtesy of Gail Simmons)

Ingredients

• ½ cup (1 stick) softened, unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan
• Juice of ½ lemon, divided
• 1 lb pears (Concorde or Anjou), cored and sliced ½ inch thick
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp cinnamon

The crust was so good I couldn't help but sample it a time or two...or 5 

Preparation

1. Butter a 9-inch springform pan (I left mine in the District, but found a large pie pan works just as well). Squeeze half the lemon juice over pears
2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt
3. With an electric mixer, cream ½ cup butter and 1 cup sugar on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Beat in flour mixture on low until batter just comes together. Spread in pan. Wrap and chill for at least 20 minutes (I chilled it overnight to save time the day of and it worked great)
4. Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange pears in tight concentric circles on top of dough. Squeeze remaining lemon juice evenly over pears
5. In a bowl, mix 2 Tbsp sugar with cinnamon. Sprinkle over pears. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until edges are golden and center is set

Ready to bake

Finished product. A delightful spring alternative to apple pie.