how2heroes » Rustic Pear & Goat Cheese Tart

Dessert & Baked Goods » Rustic Pear & Goat Cheese Tart

1st place Hoedown 2010 Baking Throwdown Winner Jennifer Wolf submitted this entry made with summer pears. This rustic dessert is a perfect marriage of ripe, juicy pears and candied ginger atop creamy goat cheese. The crust is made with butter that's gently heated to a light brown and then chilled. When baked, the goat cheese gives a subtle tang amongst the medley of flavors. Very deserving of the blue ribbon, Jennifer!

Print Recipe

Serves 8

Ingredients

Brown Butter Pastry

¼ cup butter
1¼ cups King Arthur all-purpose flour + extra for dusting workspace
2 tbsp vegetable shortening, chilled
1 tbsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
4-5 tbsp ice water
¼ cup whole milk
2 tbsp sugar for topping tart

Tart Filling

¼ cup sugar
4 tsp all-purpose flour
1-2 tbsp minced crystallized or candied ginger
4 cups peeled & sliced pears (about 4-6 medium pears)
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp honey
4 oz goat cheese, room temperature
3 tbsp sliced almonds

Special Equipment

dough cutter
parchment paper
rolling pin
pastry brush
baking sheet

How-to

Brown the Butter

Melt butter over medium heat, swirling the pan as the butter melts, until butter is light brown. This should take about 5 minutes but watch it carefully so it does not burn
Pour melted butter into a bowl, then chill until solid

Make the Dough

In large bowl, add flour, butter and shortening and cut in with a pastry cutter or fork
Add sugar and salt and mix in with a pastry cutter until pieces are the size of peas
Sprinkle in 4-5 tbsp of ice water, 1 tbsp at a time, over mixture, tossing with a fork until moistened
Form dough into a ball
On lightly floured parchment paper, flatten the ball of dough and roll pastry from the center-out into about a 13" circle (does not need to be perfectly round) and set aside

Make Filling

Combine sugar, flour and ginger. Add pears and lemon juice. Toss until coated

Assemble & Bake

In a small bowl, combine honey and goat cheese and spread over the dough, leaving 2-3” along outer edge of dough uncovered
Pour pear filling over goat cheese
Fold edges of pastry over filling, making even creases
Sprinkle with almonds, brush pastry edges with milk and dust with granulated sugar
Place tart with the parchment paper on a cookie sheet and bake 40-45 minutes, until top top is golden brown, then let cool 30-45 minutes on the parchment paper before serving