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
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: serves up to 12
Description
This French pear tart recipe is a total WIN! Absolute perfection in both presentation and taste!
Ingredients
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
- Position one oven rack to middle, and move the second rack to the 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 (see photo).
- 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 (see photo).
- 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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I wonder what is the best kind of pears to use. I used Bartlett and Bosc because I had them
in the house. The tart came out kind of mushy although delicious. Can you recommend the pear to use. Thank you
Hi, Sherrie. I actually just use whatever type of pear I have on had. I, personally, have not experienced that mushy texture before. Let me think on it, and I’ll let you know if I come up with a solution for you.
Keep cooking the filling mixture and as the water evaporates it’ll thicken right up for you. The flavor will also intensify and the natural sugar in the pears will carmelize a bit making it even more scrumptious.
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
It will keep for a few days 3 to 4 or so, if refrigerated
I loved this! I looked high and low for fig preserves without success, so I used apricot preserves instead. Delicious!
Crust was crispy too.
Household of only two, so how to keep it over a couple of days? Plastic wrap on counter or in fridge? Thanks!
That’s wonderful, Matt! Thanks so much for sharing. Personally, I like to keep things refrigerated and maybe pull out a bit before serving.
This recipe is luscious – I substituted the fig jam with spiced crabapple jelly (cos that’s what I had) and the flavour of the pear puree was just fabulous. Fresh ripe peaches. Easy pastry. I’ll def be doing it again.
So glad you enjoyed it, Carol!
Awesome recipe. I have made this several times now and it always turns out wonderful.
I would like to take this on a road trip, but wanted to know if it was possible to make the tart, then FREEZE it for travel? Would it thaw ok, ro would it end up being mush? Thanks for any advice you can offer!
Hi Brian, thanks so much for sharing. If you can, maybe prepare ahead the pie crush and the filling separately. You can perhaps freeze them separately and then assemble the pie when you are ready? I have not made this pie and frozen the whole thing, and not sure how well it would thaw.
Wonderful recipe! THANK YOU!!! i follow your instructions to the T and it was perfect. I did not add any spices since I love the fresh pear and butter flavor that many times get hidden with heavy spices. Everyone loved this tart! Definitively I ill make it part of my family favorites. My only suggestion is to use the best quality butter you can find, preferably only pasteurized not double pasteurized. I use mexican or irish butter for best flavor.
I love this recipe and I love pears! Thank you for the detailed instructions and the pictures. So good…I’m what you call a lazy baker. For the crust, I used the leftover shortbread cookies from Christmas. Put them in the food processor along with some almonds and butter. Added cinnamon to the fig preserve along with a little maple syrup. Voila, so pretty. I don’t feel too bad having a slice with some coffee.
Thanks so much for sharing, Jennifer!
Thank you for the recipe. I used rose water for the water in simmering the pears. I added cardamom, ginger and cinnamon to the fig pear purée. It smells wonderful. I’ll let you know how it tastes. I think my tart pan was smaller than yours because I have extra pears and purée.
Jill, thank you for sharing your version! I love the spices you added!
Hi, Thank you for this awesome recipe! I made it for Thanksgiving and it was a major hit! I added 2 tablespoons of brown sugar ( the pears were not very sweet) and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the purée and it was phenomenal. It is the perfect fall dessert! Your instructions, coupled with the photos were spot on. I may try to add some different spices next time, maybe cardamon.
Lloyd, I’m so thrilled to hear this! Thanks for sharing your feedback as well!
Hi, this looks fantastic! I was wondering if I can you use almond flour/meal for the crust?
Hi Marie, thank you! I have not tried almond flour for the crust myself in this recipe.
Hi. I intend on making this for thanksgiving. I have all the ingredients but, I do have a question. Do you peel the skins off the pears or do you keep them on?
Hi Courtney, the skin stays on for the pears (please check the tutorial photos included) 🙂
Hello, I was looking for recipes using my Asian Pears. Have you used them before? My two favorite things are pears and figs. I am going to make this using Asian Pears. Will let you know.
Enjoy, Bea!
Good recipe. Prep time is ACTUALLY about 25 mins & cook time is ACTUALLY around 10-15 mins. Not including the times for cooking the pears in the pan. However, the actual tart is very tasty.
Would I need to adapt/change anything if using pie crust(have leftover from thanksgiving) and a pie plate?
Hi Nancy, I would say you could use pie crust, but I think baking time would be different. I have not tried it myself, though.
Hi there! If we don’t eat this right away (after it’s cooled) should it be stored in the fridge? And if so, should it be covered?
I’m cooking dessert for a thanksgiving at work and am wondering if I should refrigerate. 🙂 thank you!
Hello, Shannon. The baked crust and pear slices etc. can each be made up to 24 hours in advance. You can refrigerate covered, but separately, the pears and puree in a separate container. The next day, assemble everything and add 5 minutes to baking time. Hope this helps.
Very tasty1 I’d wanted to make something with pears for awhile, and this is a good starter recipe. My wife makes linzertort with a very similar crust, but adds ground almonds for an even more intriguing texture.
I substituted 1/4 cup sunflower oil for 4T of the butter in the crust, and made a similar substitution for glazing the fruit. It was still quite buttery tasting. I also used 2/3 apple slices, and just cooked them for three minutes before adding the pear slices, which were softer and ripe.
Also, we did not have an 8″ pan, so I used a 7 1/2″ and two 4 1/2″ tart pans. That worked great!
Awesome, Jeff! and thank you for sharing your take on it!