View source for Pear Tart with Whiskey Cream

{{RecipeSummary
|PrepTime=45 min + 1 hr chilling
|CookTime=50 min @ 350°
|Source=[http://www.designsponge.com/2011/01/in-the-kitchen-with-megan-fizells-pear-tart.html DesignSponge.com]
|Yield=6-8 servings
|Rating={{Delicious}}
}}
=== Ingredients ===
==== Pie Crust ====
* 1 cup plain flour
* 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, ground
* 3/4 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon water

==== Pear Filling ====
* 3 large pears
* 1/4 cup brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon salted butter
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1 tablespoon Bourbon whiskey (we used "2 Gingers")

==== Whiskey Cream ====
* 1 cup heavy whipping cream
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 1 tablespoon Bourbon whiskey
* seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean or 1/2 t of vanilla extract

=== Preparation ===
==== Make the Crust ====
Place the flour, hazelnuts, butter, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Begin rubbing the butter into the flour, working it until the mixture resembles wet sand and clumps together. Add 1 tablespoon of water and mix together until it forms a loose ball. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead slightly. Form into a round disk and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

After at least an hour in the refrigerator, work the dough into a 1-cm (1/3-inch) thick round on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Lift the dough into a 9-inch buttered pie pan. If the pastry breaks up, you can fit it back together by pressing it into the pie tin. Ensure there is an even layer of pastry within the tin. To create a decorative edge, roll the remaining pastry into small balls and press around the edge of the tin. Once assembled in the pie tin, place the pastry in the freezer. (Do not do this if you are using a ceramic/porcelain dish, or any dish that may suffer from extreme temperature differences.)

Heat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF. Remove the tin from the freezer, place a sheet of parchment paper over it and pour in baking weights, dried beans or rice to weight the pastry. This step, called blind baking, will keep the base from rising later once it has been filled.

Slide into the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the baking weights and prick the base of the crust with a fork to release steam.

==== Make the Filling ====
Cut the pears in half and remove the cores. Slice into 1/4-inch slices and place in a large bowl. Add all other ingredients and toss to evenly coat the fruit.

Arrange the sliced pear attractively in the blind-baked crust and slide into the oven for an additional 30 minutes. For the first 15 minutes, cover the tart with a sheet of aluminum foil to keep the fruit from burning. Remove the foil to finish baking and remove from the oven once the fruit is soft and the crust golden.

Once cooled slightly, top with the cold whiskey cream and serve.

==== Make the Cream ====
Combine the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk on the medium-high setting until the cream is light and fluffy and the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.

[[Category:Desserts]]
[[Category:Tart]]
[[Category:Pears]]