Pear Tart with slice removed

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!

Entire French Pear Tart ready to be served

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.

Mix flour and butter together in a bowlCrust ingredients combined thoroughly in bowl

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.

Dough pressed down to form thin layer in baking pie dish

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.

Cooked Crust in baking pie dish

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

Straining fig preserve

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

Pears cut into slices

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.

Pear slices cooked briefly to soften

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.

Mash pears in skillet to combine and allow to cook until sauce thickens

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

Fig puree transferred to pie crust and spread evenly

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

Slices of pears placed in a ring around top of puree-covered pie crust Sliced pears continue to be lined on top of puree filling Entire top of pie covered with slices pears

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.

Top of pie brushed with Strained 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.

Removing pie ring from pie

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

Freshly prepared fig tart with slice removed

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Pear Tart Recipe

French Pear Tart


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4.8 from 37 reviews

Description

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


Ingredients

Scale

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

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

  • Visit our store to browse our spices, olive oils and bundles!
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 60 mins
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: French

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Apple Strudel with Phyllo

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Greek Orange Honey Cake with Pistachios

Italian Olive Oil Apple Cake

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I’m Suzy; born and bred right on the shores of the Mediterranean. I’m all about easy, healthy recipes with big Mediterranean flavors. Three values guide my cooking: eat with the seasons; use whole foods; and above all, share! So happy you’re here…
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Comments

  1. Shellie says:

    Could this tart be made in a 9″ springform pan?

    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      It’s possible, Shellie. But I am not sure you’ll get the same look.

  2. Christina says:

    I added some lemon while sautéing and didn’t have fig jam. Still came out beautifully. I’ve made it twice now.






    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      Wonderful, Christina! So glad you enjoyed it!

  3. Marc says:

    The French pear tart is spectacular and easy! My daughter now wants it for her seventh birthday. The 9″ tart won’t be enough, though. I have an 11″ quiche dish– any ideas for adapting/ stretching your recipe?

    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      Hi Marc! That’s great to hear. Unfortunately, I don’t have a recommendation for an 11-inch option for this particular tart. But I found a 11-inch apple tart recipe–>http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/french-apple-tart1 I’m thinking you could use the tart portion of the recipe, and the filling from my pear tart recipe, perhaps increasing the amount of pears a bit…you’ll have to eyeball a little, but I think it might just work. OR make two French Pear Tarts using the recipe; you’ll probably have more than you need, but that means awesome breakfast the next day! Enjoy!

  4. Bridget Baumhover says:

    Do you grease the tart pan? Thanks!

    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      It wouldn’t hurt Bridget, but I didn’t.

  5. debbe says:

    I just found this recipe yesterday, happened to have a bowl of perfectly ripe pears from our tree, and made it. Incredible! Thank you for what will become a staple dessert in our family.

    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      Debbe, thank you so much for stopping by! I am so glad to hear you enjoyed this pear tart. It’s a favorite around here!

  6. Michael Dini says:

    I followed this recipe as written. I had never before made a tart. It turned out perfectly, and I received rave reviews.

    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      Michael, this is wonderful to hear! This tart is a favorite here in my household. I’m not a huge baker, but I make a few tried-n-true things, this is def. one of them. Glad you enjoyed it!

  7. sara says:

    Hi! Will this suffer terribly if I replace the butter with margarine? I need to make this non-dairy…

    Looks incredible!

    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      Sara, so sorry, I don’t know how your comment slipped through the cracks. I have not tried it with margarine, but I’m pretty sure it should be fine. Be sure to use stick margarine rather than margarine from a tub. Stick margarine’s consistency is closer to butter. Let me know how it works out!

      1. Lynne says:

        I made this yesterday using dairy and gluten free sunflower spread. I don’t know if using the spread changed the taste or texture from the original recipe, but WOW! It tasted great. I did have to make other substitutes from my cupboard. I used self-raising flour (by mistake), added 2 tsp ground ginger to the base mix (if you like a ginger kick), used a mixture of 1 tbsp soft brown, 2 tbsp Demerara and 3 tbsp golden granulated sugar and used 2-3 tbsp of Rhubarb and Ginger jam, instead of the fig preserves. I also left out the salt. I got a light textured, biscuit-like base, that was golden in colour and I found Suzy’s recipe easy to follow. I wasn’t disappointed with the finished tart and I’ll definately make it again, maybe try a chocolate crust next time.






      2. Suzy Karadsheh says:

        Hi Lynne! Thank you for giving this tart a try. It’s a favorite over here. And thanks for sharing your adaptation. Sounds like it all worked out well!

  8. Agnes Karas says:

    I did make this one and it is yummy!

    1. The Mediterranean Dish says:

      I remember you made this around the holidays!

  9. Judy Van Aman says:

    Looks amazing

    1. The Mediterranean Dish says:

      Thank you, Judy!

  10. Linda @ForkandForage says:

    Suzy, your pear tart looks mouthwateringly delicious. I really must get out of my apple rut and try baking with pears for a change. Great recipe!






    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      Thank you, Linda! I do enjoy this pear tart a lot. Let me know if you ever try it.

  11. The Mediterranean Dish says:

    Really?! Sorry that was harder than expected. Can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you, Agnes. For anyone else looking for a subsitute to fig preserves/jam, I would suggest trying an orange marmalade. I think that would go well also.

  12. Agnes Karas says:

    Suzy, I plan on making this for Christmas but I have to let you know, I had to go to 4 stores before located Fig Preserves…whew! I’ll post a picture if it turns out.

  13. Denise Browning says:

    Suzy:
    What a gorgeous, mouthwatering French pear tart… With these detailed instructions, anyone can make this successfully.
    I wish you a wonderful (belated) birthday.
    You have a beautiful blog — full of amazing recipes. Keep up the great work!






    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      Denise! Thanks tons for stopping in. Your words mean so much to me. BTW, you and I share a favorite verse, ” I can do anything through Him.” 🙂

  14. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says:

    I don’t bake with pears often enough. This tart is calling my French heritage bite by bite. I know what you mean about November and December. I struggle with it being summer and my American genes want it to be dark at 5pm and cold – not summer. 🙂






    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      O that’s right! It’s like summer time where you live! I am so used to this time of the year being cold and snowy; it’s so hard to imagine a non-white Christmas! This pear tart really surprised me. It was not too hard at all, and we loved it!

  15. Beth Ann Chiles says:

    This looks amazing and really not all that much work for the pizazz factor. Yum.

    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      Beth Ann! My new friend! So glad you stopped in 🙂 You’re so right, this tart was not that much work. A few steps to a great result! hugs.

  16. The Mediterranean Dish says:

    Good thing this pear tart is on the healthier side. Well, I mean if you don’t count the butter in the crust 🙂

    1. Jennifer Flaa says:

      Baking with butter is the best:)