Description
This Pear and Brown Sugar Tart is a delightful dessert combining tender, thinly sliced pears with a buttery brown sugar glaze on a cinnamon-spiced crust. Baked to golden perfection, this tart offers a warm, comforting flavor perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust and Filling
- 4 medium ripe pears, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (to prevent browning of pears)
For the Glaze
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Optional
- 1/4 cup water (for steaming pears)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to prepare for baking the tart.
- Make the Dough: In a mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, 1 cup brown sugar, all-purpose flour, salt, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon. Mix until a dough forms.
- Press Dough into Tart Pan: Evenly press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan to form the crust.
- Prepare Glaze: In a small saucepan, melt 1/4 cup brown sugar with 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat until smooth to create a rich glaze.
- Treat Pear Slices: Toss the sliced pears with lemon juice in a large bowl to prevent browning. Optionally, steam the pears for about 5 minutes using 1/4 cup water to soften them slightly.
- Arrange Pears: Layer the sliced pears in a circular pattern over the tart crust, slightly overlapping each slice for an attractive presentation.
- Drizzle Glaze: Pour the melted brown sugar and butter glaze evenly over the arranged pears.
- Bake the Tart: Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the pears are tender.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the tart to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving to let the filling set.
Notes
- Steaming pears is optional but helps soften them for a tender texture.
- Use ripe but firm pears to avoid mushy filling.
- Letting the tart cool before slicing prevents the glaze from running.
- This tart pairs wonderfully with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
