Poached Pear Tarts

My mom is my partner in crime; I look to her, I laugh with her and I dream with her. Everything I am she helped me to be!

These poached pear tarts were created in honour of my mom to celebrate her for Mother’s Day. They are stunning, elegant, simple yet sophisticated; just like her!

These tarts combine a crisp yet soft and creamy texture with sublet notes of citrusy (Sauvignon Blanc) soaked pears. The pears are nestled on top of a nutty, almond cream and then a crisp, buttery puff pastry. They are absolutely no doubt a beautiful dessert to spoil Mom (or anyone you’re wanting to spoil)!

A Mother’s Day Note about My Grandma and My Mom

My mother and my grandmother have been my inspiration in the kitchen since I was a little girl.  I cherish the days when I was a helping hand, sifting flour and licking the chocolately batter off the beaters.

My grandma stuck to her favourite recipes and had the best pastry around. Although I think we probably didn’t allow Grandma to make anything different, as us kids craved her runny, rich butter tarts and her wild, sweet blueberry pies! Meanwhile, my mother likes to try new recipes and get more creative in the kitchen. It was a perfect mix they had together and they both always made food enjoyable and brought family and friends together.

I was and am incredibly lucky to have spent so much time learning and absorbing the secrets of my mother’s and grandmother’s kitchens.  Because of their love, care and attention, they are both a part of me and why I bake. They inspire me and I hold on to every moment and experience they have taught me, whether they realized it or not. Happy Mother’s Day, xoxo.

Ingredients

Make sure to read the entire recipe before starting so that you are well prepared.

• Puff Pastry
• Milk
• White wine; Sauvignon Blanc
• Water
• Granulated sugar & icing sugar
• Pure vanilla extract & almond extract (optional)
• Fresh lemon
• Bosc Pears
• Almond flour
• All-purpose flour
• Unsalted butter
• Egg
• Ice cream (optional)
• Fresh berries (optional)

Make Ahead

Although this recipe isn’t difficult it does take a little time to prep and plan. It’s best to soak the pears overnight (so they soak up as much sugary, white wine as possible), and I also recommend making the almond cream in advance too. You can easily prep this dessert up to 3 days in advance and then put everything together and bake on the day.

• Prep poached pears at least one day ahead or up to 3 days
• Make almond filling the same day or prep up to 3 days
• Defrost puff pastry the night before
• Bake poached pear tarts the same day and enjoy

Tips for The Perfect Poached Pear Tarts

1. Don’t stress about ripe pears, when poaching pears it’s better to have firm pears so they don’t cook into mush.
2. Use a melon baller to decore pears, they make the perfect tool for this.
3. If the stem on the pear breaks when peeling or cutting don’t throw it out. Keep it aside and once ready stick the stem back into the pear and bake away.
4. Slice a lemon in half and using a sharp knife poke the pulp so the juices release. When cutting your pears, rub the lemon over the pear to keep it from browning. Give the lemon a little squeeze for more juice.
5. Simmering the pears may take longer than the recommended time as this will all depend on how firm your pears are to begin with, be patient and make sure to keep the syrup at a simmer.
6. Use a toothpick to pierce the pears to see if they are done. This will prevent big holes in your pears. And always poke the cut side of the pears so the holes won’t be visible.
7. Let the pears cool cut side up in the sugar/wine mixture for maximum flavour.
8. Defrost puff pastry in the refrigerator overnight. You can’t rush defrosting puff pastry, never try and microwave puff pastry to defrost it faster.
9. If your pastry has wet spots from frozen ice, add a generous amount of flour to the area.
10. Try your best to cut as thick of an edge as possible around each pear. The more puff pastry around the pears the better!
11. Make sure your almond cream is nice and firm (cold) before baking or it won’t hold its shape and will leak out while it bakes. You will get cream baking out but it will be a lot less!

How To Make Poached Pear Tarts

Step One: Peel, halve and decore the pears, leaving the stems attached (rub lemon juice on the pears to keep them from browning). Add wine, sugar and water to a large pot and bring to a simmer, add pears and cook until pears are tender. Cool and place the pot of pears in the fridge overnight. Make your almond cream and refrigerate until ready to use.

Step Two: Roll out puff pastry on a floured work surface. Place pears on the pastry to stencil around. Make sure to leave lots of room. Using a sharp knife or a toothpick trace the shape of the pear approx. 1/2-1 inch bigger than the original pear, drawing leaves at the top.

Step Three: Using a sharp paring knife cut the pastry where you stenciled.

Step Four: Pipe the almond cream into the center of each pear. Then place the pear on top. Wipe any extra almond cream away that is peaking out of the pear.

Step Five: Brush the pastry with milk and bake until crisp and the bottoms are browned. Immediately and carefully cut any almond cream that has leaked out.

Print

FAQ’s

You may also like: