NEW! CHOCOLATE AND POACHED PEAR TART

This recipe is great year round but is especially good in the fall and winter. Pears and chocolate are a wonderful flavor combination. This recipe is adapted from The Seven Sins of Chocolate by Laurent Schott (DK Publishing, 2006). The authors tell us that this dessert pairs nicely with a light Beaujolais.

This recipe serves 6

INGREDIENTS

Poached Pears:

• 3 firm but ripe pears, such as D’Anjou
• 1¾ cups light red wine such as Beaujolais
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 star anise (optional)

Pastry:

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter
• 1 large egg yolk beaten with 2 tablespoons ice water

Chocolate Ganache Filling:

• 5 ounces Scharffen Berger 70% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate
• ½ cup plus 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Method:

To make the Poached Pears:
Peel and halve the pears lengthwise and remove the core. Bring the wine, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and star anise to a boil in a saucepan. Add the pears to the wine and simmer over low heat, just until tender when pierced with the tip of a small knife, about 15 minutes. Do not overcook. Let cool in the wine syrup.

To make the Pastry:
Mix the flour, confectioner’s sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Add the butter and rub between your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stirring with a fork, add just enough of the egg yolk-water to evenly moisten the mixture. It should hold together when you press the dough between your finger and your thumb. You may need to add a bit more water.

Gather up the dough and press into a thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 and up to 12 hours.

Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface or between several layers of waxed paper. Roll out to 1/8 inch thickness and place into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Prick the dough well with a fork. Refrigerate or freeze the dough-lined pan for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet. Line the pan with foil or parchment and fill with baking weights or dried beans. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the dough is set. Remove the paper and the weights. Continue baking until the crust is a golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

To make the Ganache:
Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to a boil, pour over the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate has completely melted. Whisk in the butter, a piece at a time, until the ganache is smooth.

Pour the ganache into the baked tart shell and refrigerate until barely set, about 30 minutes.

To Assemble the Tart
Drain and thinly slice the pears. Arrange them in concentric circles on the ganache. Remove the tart from the pan.

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