Pear Cardamom Tart

/
pear_ cardamom_tart-1.jpg

Last month we went to Portland Nursery’s annual apple tasting festival. Everything is $1 per pound, with 60 different varieties of apples and pears. So we bought a lot. A real lot. Exactly 28 pounds. Maybe too many but they do store well in the refrigerator. I made this Pear Cardamom Tart which is a variation on the Pear Almond Tart I made a while back. I was inspired by this pear tart on Instagram which is absolutely gorgeous, Lauren Ko’s pie designs are amazing. So mine didn’t turn out like that, but I’m still happy with it, and it tastes really good which is sort of the bottom line when it comes to food. I used a few different types of pears: Bosc, Seckel, Red Anjou, Forelle. After it’s baked it loses the variety of bright colors, but you end up with some nice rich browns. I think it would make a handsome dessert for Thanksgiving. Enjoy :)

pear_ cardamom_tart-2.jpg
pear_ cardamom_tart-3.jpg
pear_ cardamom_tart-4.jpg
pear_ cardamom_tart-5.jpg
pear_ cardamom_tart-6.jpg
pear_ cardamom_tart-7.jpg
pear_ cardamom_tart-8.jpg
pear_ cardamom_tart-9.jpg

Pear Cardamom Tart

  • 6 ounces almond paste

  • 2 teaspoons sugar

  • 2 teaspoons flour

  • 3 ounces unsalted butter (about 6 tablespoons) room temp 

  • 1 large egg, plus one egg white, at room temp

  • 1/4 teaspoon Almond extract

  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dark rum

  • 4 pears (in a variety of color and size)

  • Pre-baked 9-inch Tart Shell, at room temperature (recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. 

In a stand mixer beat the almond paste with the sugar and flour, until smooth. 

Gradually beat in the butter, until smooth, then beat in the egg and the egg white, the almond extract, cardamom and rum. Spread the almond filling evenly over the tart shell with a rubber spatula. 

Slice the pear quarters into 1/4” slices, then fan the slices in clusters over the almond filling, alternating colors and sizes. Press them slightly into the filling. Bake the tart for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until the almond filling between the pears has browned. Remove from oven onto rack and cool slightly before serving. Can be served at room temperature. 

Tart Shell

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for surface

  • 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

  • 1 large egg, whisked

Whisk sugar, salt, and 1 cup flour in a medium bowl. Add butter and rub in with your fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pea-size pieces remaining. Drizzle egg over butter mixture and mix gently with a fork until dough just comes together.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Form dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, at least 2 hours. (Dough can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled, or freeze up to 1 month.) Place dough on floured surface. Roll to 11-12” circle, place dough in pan and press to fit, overlap edges inside. With a fork make holes in the crust to prevent bubbling. Cover the crust with parchment or foil and fill with rice or weights. Bake 10 minutes at 350° then remove foil and bake another 5 minutes until just firm but not browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before adding almond mixture.