Chocolate and Pear Tarts a Fall Dessert
This chocolate and pear tart is a perfect dessert for autumn. Chocolate and pears are a magnificent marriage of flavour and texture. Also for this dessert, I created a leaf design with raspberry coulis and caramel on a white plate (using squeeze bottles) and then blended the colours with a synthetic brush. I meticulously placed chocolate chard on each slice of this tarte to add height to the dish. For extra flair, I sprinkled gold flakes on top of each individual slice and I couldn’t resist making whip cream and piping on a dollop of it to incorporate every possible texture for this dessert. Lastly, for crunch, I sprinkled a few pearled sugar grains (Sucre Grain by Beghin Say) for an amazing crunch.
Chocolate and Pear Tarts
These tarts are easy to make and a delicious finish to a fall menu. Make sure to leave enough time to prepare and rest the dough.
Equipment
- KitchenAid mixer
- Small synthetic brush, whisk, offset spatula,
- Digital scale
- 9-inch springform pan
- Small melon scooper (baller) to core the pears.
- 2 squeeze bottles
Ingredients
Ingredients for Pastry Dough:
- 8 oz All-Purpose Flour
- 2.5 oz Unsalted Butter chilled and cut into small pieces
- 3 oz Powdered Sugar
- 2 large Egg Yolks beaten
Ingredients for the Filling:
- 3 ripe Bartlett pears* peeling is optional
- 3 oz Unsalted Butter at room temperature
- 3 oz Granulated Sugar
- 1 large Egg
- 2 tbsp Ground Almonds
- 6 oz All-Purpose Flour
- 2 oz Cocoa Powder
- ½ oz Espresso Coffee finely ground
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 3 tbsp Milk
- Option: To garnish sprinkle with powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (200°C).
- Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan (or use vegetable spray).
For the Pastry Dough:
- Sift the flour into a bowl, add the butter and rub with your fingers until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Stir in the powdered sugar. Mix with a round blade in cutting motion, add the yolks slowly to bring the pastry dough together.
- Then form a disc, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Dust a cool workspace with more powdered sugar and roll out so the dough will fit in your springform pan. Press the dough into the bottom of the pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
For the Filling:
- Cut each pear in half lengthwise and core the center with a melon scooper (baller). Then, cut each half in thin 1/8 inch slices, keeping the ½ pear shape.
- Using a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light yellow and fluffy. Add the egg, then the ground almonds. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder and add to the butter/sugar mixture. Add the milk and mix until the batter is smooth.
- Pour the chocolate batter into the pan and smooth the top. Place the sliced pear halves in the pan and bake for 30 minutes. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
Serving the Dessert:
- During my virtual cooking class, I demonstrated how to make an autumn leaf with a squeeze bottle of caramel and a squeeze bottle of raspberry coulis. You can also serve this dessert with powdered sugar, chocolate syrup, chocolate chards decorated with coloured shimmer powder.
Notes
*NOTE: If the pears you purchase are not ripe, cut and slice the pears and then bake them for 20 minutes at 375°F (200°C), then let cool before finishing your recipe.The shimmer powder is manufactured by Easy Leaf Productions.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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