French Pear Tart Recipe

With the holidays upon us, I decided to challenge myself to baking something different. I was looking through the latest issue of Cook’s Illustrated and I came across a beautiful French apple tart.  The apple slices arranged in the shape of a beautiful blooming flour. At first glance, I thought to myself, this looks complicated. 

A few hours later, I was looking in my fridge when my large bag of pears stared back at me demanding action. It was a toss up between making my easy poached pears and a pear tart, and I decided to try my hand at a pear tart. And while I’m at it, I could use some of my good fig preserves!

I’d like to think of my pear tart as the yummier cousin of the Cook’s Illustrated apple tart. Sorry, I’m biased toward pears. But I did end up using their no-fuss pie crust with some modification. Trust me, friends, you’ll want to know how to make this easy no-fuss crust, it will change your baking life!

So I did make my French pear tart recipe. The result? A total WIN! Absolute perfection in both presentation and taste! I know I’ll be making it again soon.

Step-by-step photos for this pear tart

(scroll down for the print-friendly recipe)

Position one oven rack to middle, and move the second rack to the very top slot. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar and salt. Add melted butter and combine to form dough.

Transfer dough to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. With your hands press dough down to spread on bottom and onto the rims of the pan.

Place in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes, or until crust turns golden brown. When ready remove crust from oven and let sit to cool. Leave oven on.

Meanwhile, heat the fig preserves in microwave for about 40 seconds. Pour heated fig preserves through a mesh strainer to separate chunks from liquid.

Now, slice five pears into 1/2-inch slices, discarding core.

Heat 1 tbsp of butter in a large cast iron skillet. Add pear slices and 1 tbsp water. Cover and cook on medium heat until pears are slightly tender; about 3 minutes. Remove pears onto a large platter and let sit to cool.

Take the remaining three pears and cut them in the same manner. Now melt 2 tbsp of butter in previously used cast iron skillet. Add newly-sliced pears, chunks of fig reserves, and salt. Cook on medium heat, covered, for ten minutes; stir occasionally until pears are very tender. Take a potato masher and mash the pears and fig reserves into a puree. Let cook for another 5-7 minutes or until pureed mixture reduces and thickens.

Transfer pear-fig puree onto the now cooled crust; spread evenly.

Now, take the cooled pear slices and begin to assemble them in layered circles, starting at the outer edges.

Place tart on the middle rack of the oven. Bake in 350 degree F-heated oven for 30 minutes.

Warm up the strained liquid fig preserves for 20 seconds in the microwave.When tart is ready, remove from oven and brush surface of the pears evenly with the warmed fig liquid.

Return to oven and place on the top rack. Broil very briefly; watching carefully until pears gain a nice caramelized look.

Remove from oven and let cool for at least 1 1/2 hours before serving.

When ready, place the bottom of the tart pan on a wide can of food. Hold the ring part of the pan and carefully slide it downwards.

Cut pear fig tart into eight slices and serve. Enjoy!

French Pear Tart

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4.8 from 41 reviews

• Author: The Mediterranean Dish
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: serves up to 12

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Description

This French pear tart recipe is a total WIN! Absolute perfection in both presentation and taste!

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Ingredients

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Crust

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 5 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 12 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Filling

• 8 large pears, washed
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp water
• 3/4 cup fig preserves
• 1/4 tsp salt

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Instructions

1. Position one oven rack to middle, and move the second rack to the top slot.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar and salt. Add melted butter and combine to form dough.
4. Transfer dough to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. With your hands press dough down to spread on bottom and onto the rims of the pan.
5. Place in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes, or until crust turns golden brown. When ready remove crust from oven and let sit to cool. Leave oven on.
6. Meanwhile, heat the fig preserves in microwave for about 40 seconds. Pour heated fig preserves through a mesh strainer to separate chunks from liquid.
7. Now, slice five pears into 1/2-inch slices, discarding core.
8. Heat 1 tbsp of butter in a large cast iron skillet. Add pear slices and 1 tbsp water. Cover and cook on medium heat until pears are slightly tender; about 3 minutes.
9. Remove pears onto a large platter and let sit to cool.
10. Take the remaining three pears and cut them in the same manner.
11. Now melt 2 tbsp of butter in previously used cast iron skillet. Add newly-sliced pears, chunks of fig reserves, and salt. Cook on medium heat, covered, for ten minutes; stir occasionally until pears are very tender.
12. Take a potato masher and mash the pears and fig reserves into a puree. Let cook for another 5-7 minutes or until pureed mixture reduces and thickens.
13. Transfer pear-fig puree onto the now cooled crust; spread evenly.
14. Now, take the cooled pear slices and begin to assemble them in layered circles, starting at the outer edges (see photo).
15. Place tart on the middle rack of the oven. Bake in 350 degree F-heated oven for 30 minutes.
16. Warm up the strained liquid fig preserves for 20 seconds in the microwave.
17. When tart is ready, remove from oven and brush surface of the pears evenly with the warmed fig liquid.
18. Return to oven and place on the top rack. Broil very briefly; watching carefully until pears gain a nice caramelized look.
19. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 1 1/2 hours before serving.
20. When ready, place the bottom of the tart pan on a wide can of food. Hold the ring part of the pan and carefully slide it downwards (see photo).
21. Cut pear fig tart into eight slices and serve. Enjoy!

Notes

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• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 60 mins
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: French

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