The Holiday Season is ending and the New Year is coming. I am sure that you have had plenty of chocolate this holiday season, however this tart brings you the best of both chocolate and seasonal fruit affectionates. It’s a great tart for ending and celebrating the new year. You can prepare everything a day before baking it. Happy New Year !
Pear and Chocolate Cream Tart — Tarte Poire aux Chocolat
Recipe adapted from Cocobeat by Iff Kat
Makes one 9-10-inch tart
Ingredients
1 recipe Pâte Brisée:
1 large egg yolk (20g) save white for the chocolate cream
3 tablespoons and more ice-cold water
A pinch of salt
2 tablespoons (25g) sugar
1½ cups (225g) all-purpose flour, sifted
1 stick (4 oz./115g) unsalted butter, diced. Plus 2 teaspoons for greasing tart pan
2-3 pears (500g) Anjou, Bartlett, or Bosc
1 cup (250 ml) water
3 tablespoons (40g) sugar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) pear liqueur or white rum
(Note. it is not necessary to poach the pears if they are ripe, or if you wish not…)
Chocolate Cream filling**
3 tablespoons (28g) all-purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon baking powder
A pinch o salt
3 tablespoons (20g) blanched finely ground almond or almond flour (optional)
3.3 ounces (100g) bittersweet, dark chocolate (60% or more), chopped
7 tablespoons (75g) unsalted butter, diced
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
1 fresh large eggs (50g)
1 fresh egg white (30g)
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preparing the tart crust:
In a small bowl, beat together the egg, water, salt and sugar. Set aside. Combine the flour and butter in a food processor or in a mixing bowl by hand. Pour the egg mixture all at once and process for a few seconds, just until the dough comes together. Add a little cold water if the dough is too dry (1 teaspoon at a time). Gather the dough into a ball and flatten to a disk. Wrap it with plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to a day, or freeze.
For poaching pears:
Combine the water, sugar and rum in a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Peeled the pears, halved, cored, and cut them into a lengthy quarter or six. Add in the saucepan and gently simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. (you may have poached pears a day before).
Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Grease a tart pan with a pat of butter. Working on a lightly floured work surface, with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out 1½ inches circle larger than the tart pan. Place it gently and quickly at the bottom and side of the pan, trimming off the excess dough on the edge. Prick the bottom of the tart shell all over with a fork and cover loosely with plastic and refrigerate for about 30 minutes (this will prevent the dough from shrinking as it bakes.).
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
**Chocolate cream filling:
Combine the flour, baking powder salt, and almond flour if you are using it. Set aside. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler (in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water). Stir it well, and remove from the heat. Keep it lukewarm.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar, egg and egg white until a little floppy for about 2 minutes, gently stir the chocolate butter mixture and vanilla extract. Hold the dry ingredients with a spatula and chill. (place in an airtight container for up to 3 days.)
Baking:
Spread the chocolate filling over the bottom of the pastry shell. Using a spatula, transfer the pears to the top of the filling, placing the pears, narrow points toward the center. Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake in the center of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the filling is puffed but the center is still soft. Let the tart cool on a wire rack.
In a small saucepan, combine the preserved poached liquid and bring to a simmer for a few minutes to make glaze, cool, and brush it on the cooled pear. Voila,
Note. you may prebake the crust for 10-12 minutes for cripear tart.
