Pear Ginger and Lemon Tart
What You’ll Need: (Serves 4-6)
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry (usually sold in boxes of 2 sheets)
2-3 pears, sliced thinly
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp Turbonado sugar
Zest of one Lemon
What To Do:
- Preheat your oven to 400F. Place one sheet of puff pastry out on a lightly floured surface. Puff pastry usually comes folded in thirds, with paper in between each folded layer for easy separating. For this tart, you will be using 2/3 of the puff pastry, so just cut off 1/3 along the fold and add to the remaining pastry and refrigerate. Let it thaw out, but keep in mind that you want to be working with it while it is still cold. Once it has thawed out, place the puff pastry on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Using a paring knife, gently score the puff pastry in a frame-like border, ¾" in from each edge of the pastry. You don’t want to cut into the pastry, only score the surface of the pastry. This will help the edges of the tart rise around the pears.
- Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, ginger, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Be sure to mix it well.
Wash, slice and core your pears, and use a sharp paring knife to slice off thin, even pieces of fruit, about 3/8" wide. If you’d like to prevent the slices from turning brown while you work, squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice on them.
- Brush the top of the pastry sheet with the butter mixture. Layer the pear slices on top of the puff pastry, within the ¾" scored border. I chose to layer them in alternating directions, creating a beautiful pattern that makes this tart a stunner.
- Brush the top of the pears with the rest of the butter mixture, and sprinkle the tart with the sugar.
- Bake the tart for 15-18 minutes or until the pastry turns golden brown.
After removing from the oven, using a microplane or fine shedder, zest the lemon over the top of the Tart. Serve the tart warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. you could even just simply dust it with powdered sugar.
** this can be easily doubled or tripled, If making a third tart just pinch the two single rectangle pieces of pastry together down the center to join.
