pear tarts

Once again, we are getting a huge snowfall. Everyone is tucked up into their houses ( except for the plowmen) - and I was no exception. I continued to go through a large pile of old recipes, where I found this one for pear tarts. As I had all the ingredients, I put it together quickly, baked it, and critiqued it. I've become more adventurous these days, and found it to be a little bland, but I'll fix that next time with a brushing of red currant jelly under the pears, and a sprinkling of toasted walnuts or pecans on top.

This is a tart with a soft, cake like crust. You press the dough into tartlet pans, or one larger pie tin - no rolling required. You can put it together quickly for a nice breakfast treat, or for dessert. And I have used plums instead of pears, equally tasty.

To make:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Lightly grease small tart pans, or a pie pan.

For topping:

In mixer bowl:

1/2 t. ginger

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. salt

1 t. grated lemon zest

2 T. butter, cold, cut into small cubes

Mix the spices, salt, lemon zest, and sugar together. Add the butter and mix until crumbly.

Scrape into a small bowl and set aside.

Pears:

2 pears, cored , quartered, and very thinly sliced

Dough:

1 cup King Arthur flour

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1-2 T. topping sugar mixture

3 T. cold butter, cut into small cubes

1/2 cup milk

red currant jelly ( optional)

handful of chopped toasted walnuts/pecans for top (optional)

Mix up the dough and divide in equal pieces for the tartlet pans, or pat into the bottom of the pie plate.

(Optional: brush dough with red currant jelly)

Arrange pears in decorative circle, or however you wish.

Sprinkle pears with topping sugar thickly and top with walnuts or pecans, if you wish.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

Remove to a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes, then remove from rings. If using a pie plate, you will obviously leave it as is.

Enjoy for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, or snack. This is great for kids to make - with your supervision!