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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Chocolate & Pear Tart: A Stay-cation Indulgence




I called Aaron at work the other day. I was bored; it was just 3 days before my last day at work and the beginning of our two week staycation. I was hoping he would be willing to take a short break and entertain me - just for a few minutes. 

me: Hi! What's going on... just three more days!!!!
Aaron: Honey, I'm really busy, I can't talk right now. 

*click*

Grrr... not exactly the reaction that I hoped for. I picked up the phone and dialed again. 

Aaron: What? I told you, I am swamped. 
me: I'm making a pear tart this weekend.
Aaron: Whatever, I have to go. 

*click*


 

Usually the threat of decadent, indulgent baked goods gets him to listen, sometimes because he is looking forward to eating them, but usually because he tries to put the kibosh on future fattening concoctions showing up in the kitchen. His brush off meant that I would be making a tart that evening!  

I raced home from the office and started whipping up a crust so that the tart would be well underway by the time that Aaron got home. Mission accomplished! The crust was complete before Aaron arrived, and I was halfway through the filling before he realized what was taking place in our kitchen.

 





 Recipe after the jump!



Chocolate and Pear Tart
adapted from this recipe


Crust
5 oz flour
.6 oz almond
2.8 oz sugar
tiny pinch of salt
2.8 oz butter
1 egg


Preheat over to 350F. Mix all ingredients together in a food processor until it resembles a fine meal. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until the dough comes together. Pat the dough into a disk, wrap it in saran wrap and refrigerate it for at least an hour. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out. Press it into a 7x11 tart pan. Pierce it all over with a fork, cover it in foil and fill it with pastry weights. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the foil and weights and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from oven and chill in the fridge. 


Filling
9.5 oz dark chocolate
2.1 oz butter
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
4 eggs, beaten
2 ripe pears, pealed, cored and cut into quarters


Chop the chocolate and butter and combine in a bowl. Boil the cream and pour it over the chocolate and butter, mixing until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Mix in the eggs. Arrange the pear quarters in the bottom of the crust. Pour the chocolate mixture into the crust. Bake at 325F for 25 minutes. 


Serve with whipped cream or ice cream. 

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