Pear Tart with Pecan Crust
- 1 1/2 cups pecans (6 ounces)
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick plus 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 6 tablespoons ice water
- 8 firm ripe Bartlett pears, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
- 3/4 cup pecans
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons honey
- In a food processor, pulse the pecans with 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar until finely ground.
- Add 2 cups of the flour and the salt and pulse to mix.
- Add the butter and pulse just until the dough is the size of small peas.
- Add the ice water and pulse just until evenly moistened.
- Transfer the dough to a work surface and pat into a disk.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes.
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 16-inch round about 1/4 inch thick.
- Fit the dough into an 11 1/2-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and trim the overhang.
- Pat the scraps into a disk and roll out to a 12-inch round.
- Cut ten 3/4-inch-wide strips.
- Transfer the strips to a baking sheet.
- Refrigerate the dough strips and tart shell until chilled, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400.
- In a medium bowl, toss the pears with the light brown sugar, lemon juice, vanilla seeds and the remaining 1/4 cup of flour and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
- Set the tart shell on a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Scrape the filling into the shell.
- Lay 5 evenly spaced strips of dough over the tart; lay the remaining 5 strips of dough perpendicularly to the others to form a crosshatch pattern.
- Trim the strips as necessary and press the ends against the tart rim to adhere.
- Bake the tart for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
- Transfer to a rack and let cool for at least 30 minutes.
- Spread the pecans in a pie plate and toast in the oven for about 6 minutes, until fragrant.
- Let the nuts cool, then coarsely chop them.
- In a bowl, using an electric mixer, whip the cream with the honey.
- Fold in the chopped pecans.
- Remove the tart from the pan and transfer to a platter.
- Cut into wedges and serve each with a dollop of the honey-pecan whipped cream.
pecans, sugar, flour, salt, cold unsalted butter, water, bartlett, light brown sugar, lemon juice, vanilla bean, pecans, heavy cream, honey
Taken from www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pear-tart-with-pecan-crust (may not work)