Chocolate Pear Tart
A buttery cookie crust is layered in chocolate, pears, and a spiced custard and baked to perfection.
Servings servings
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup 2 sticks butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 ⅔ cups all purpose flour
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
Filling
- 3 ounces quality semi-sweet or dark chocolate grated or finely chopped
- 4 ripe but firm pears
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
Topping
- 1 ounce quality semi-sweet or dark chocolate grated or finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 375℉.
- To make crust, combine butter and sugar in a stand mixer and beat until well mixed. Add egg and egg yolk and stir until combined. Add flour and as the mixer is running on low, add cream. Beat until everything is incorporated. Press dough into a tart pan (see note about sizes) and up sides. Keep dough to about ¼ inch thick or just a little less. Remove any excess dough hanging over edge. Place tart pan on a baking sheet and place in freezer for 10-15 minutes. Place a sheet of parchment paper over crust surface and fill with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove parchment and pie weights, prick several times on the bottom of crust, and cook for 10 minutes longer. If crust puffs up, simply prick with fork, to release steam.
Filling
- Prepare filling. Peel and halve pears, remove cores, and thinly slice. Beat together eggs, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and cream until combined.
- When crust comes out of oven, sprinkle chocolate over the bottom and let it sit to melt. Spread evenly across crust. Place pears in a fan shape around the entire tart. Gently pour filling over pears until it reaches near the top of the tart pan. Bake for about 45 minutes or until custard is set and slightly golden brown on top.
- Place tart on a rack to cool and prepare topping when it is luke warm or room temperature. Heat cream until steaming and then pour over the 1 ounce chocolate. Whisk until smooth and then drizzle over tart. (Tip: Place chocolate in a zip-top bag and cut off the tip for clean looking drizzles). Let tart cool completely and serve at room temperature.
Notes
- This recipe is large enough to yield up to a 12-inch tart pan, or 2 tarts if you use a smaller 6-8" pan (Adjust the amount of pears and chocolate accordingly. It's okay to eyeball those). My 11-in pan left enough extra to make a few little individual desserts in ramekins as well, which is fun for the cook to eat before the grand dessert is ready!
- Store leftovers, tightly covered, in the refrigerator and enjoy within 2-3 days for best results.
- I place my tart pans on a baking sheet while baking because it makes them much easier to handle, prevents you from accidentally popping out the bottom, and catches any spills or drips.
- You’ll want to serve this at room temperature, when it will slice beautifully. You get 4 layers of flavor and texture: a cookie crust, melted chocolate, tender pears, and sweet creamy custard.
- I’ve also made this with other fruit, like raspberries, and it’s pretty much amazing any way you do it!
Nutrition
Calories: 545kcal, Carbohydrates: 57g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 20g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 155mg, Sodium: 146mg, Potassium: 205mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 31g, Vitamin A: 1089IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 53mg, Iron: 2mg
Calories: 545kcal
Cost: $10
Did You Make This Recipe?Snap a picture, and hashtag it #ourbestbites. We love to see your creations on our Instagram @ourbestbites!