No Pastry Pear Tart

Baked Mini Pear Tarts

Pear desserts aren't my cup of tea.  I would rather eat the pear fresh than make a dessert out of it.  I had a few ripe pears (was using them as a centerpiece) that called out to be made into something special.  Whenever I am on the search for a recipe I often check out TasteSpotting.  The amazing collection of photos is a culinary feast for your eyes.  After clicking on the image of a promising tart, I was lead to the Tiny Tea Room blog, written by Amy Ta who resides in Australia.  The recipe uses the metric system. Normally I would skip over the headache, but it was only 6 ingredients.  I hope I converted correctly!

If you like pear tarts, this is a good one.  Only make this if you have perfectly ripe pears.  The fresh fruit here is really the focal point. The batter surrounding the fruit provides a nice backdrop for the pear to shine. I can imagine bringing this to a ladies' luncheon and enjoying it with a cup of tea.  But no, I am not a convert, still not crazy about pear desserts.  Other than pear gelato, sorbet and Jelly Belly Jelly beans, I can't think of any other pear things I like.  Do you have any favorite pear desserts?

Brown Butter

Almond meal, flour, confectioner's sugar, eggs

Tart pans filled with batter

Ready to be baked

No Pastry Pear Tart

No Pastry Pear Tarts
Recipe adapted from Faking It posted on the Tiny Tea Room
Makes 6 small tarts

180g/1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
50g/3/8 cup + 1T all-purpose flour
180g/1 5/8 cup confectioners sugar
100g/1 cup + 1/2t almond meal
3 large eggs, beaten
3 small pears, thinly sliced (or 2 large pears)
Confectioners sugar, to dust

Preheat the oven to 390°C. Lightly butter six 3" round tart tins. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until golden brown, do not allow it to burn. Set it aside to cool. Sift the flour and confectioners sugar into a bowl and gently stir in the almond meal, melted butter and eggs. Divide among the tart tins and place pear on top. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°C and bake for another 5 minutes or until golden. Dust with confectioners sugar and serve with a cup of tea.