Directions
The pear and chocolate tart is one of the most delicious and popular desserts globally.
The idea is straightforward: the sweet and caramelized flavor of pears, cooked in butter and sugar, marries the bitter and austere character of dark chocolate beautifully.
Success is assured if a simple and perfect shortcrust pastry frames the whole.
The recipe for making pear and chocolate tart is a classic, a bit long but easy to do. So if you are looking for an elegant dessert, not too mellow or sweet, you have found the right recipe!
To make the shortcrust pastry, we used the original recipe of Artusi, which still today, in our opinion one of the most reliable to make the base of tarts and pies.
Just don’t forget to add a sour component to the dough. It could be lemon juice, vodka, or orange juice just depends on your taste.
Ingredients to make the perfect pear and chocolate tart
For the shortcrust pastry
- 270 grams of flour
- 115 grams of icing sugar
- 135 grams of butter
- 3 eggs
- organic orange peel
- 1 teaspoon of vodka or lemon juice or brandy
- 1 pinch of salt
For the filling of pears and chocolate
- 4 pears
- 4 grams of cinnamon powder
- 180 grams of extra dark chocolate
- 3 eggs
- 40 grams of cream
- 50 grams of cane sugar
How to prepare the pear and chocolate tart
The recipe is long and consists of many passages, so take it easy.
As Artusi says: “if you want to make the pastry without going mad, mince the sugar finely” or just use icing sugar. The result will be much better.
Cut the butter into pieces and place it with the flour, sugar, salt, and orange peel in the mixer. Unless you are practical and quick in making shortcrust pastry, it is better not to “burn” it with the warmth of your hands; 20 seconds in the mixer are more than enough.
When the fats are mixed with the flour in a sort of large crumbs, add the eggs you have beaten with a fork, vodka, and a pinch of salt.
Put the dough once again in the mixer and pulse for 30 seconds.
If the shortcrust pastry is too dry, add a dash of water to mix it well.
Make a ball with the shortcrust pastry, wrap it in the foil, and put it in the fridge to rest for 1 hour.
How to make the pear and chocolate filling
While you wait, wash, peel and cut the pears into small cubes, which you will cook in a pan with 10 grams of butter, cinnamon, and 50 grams of sugar. Stir and cook for 3 minutes, then pour a dash of rum, stir and cook for 2 minutes more.
Let’s move on to the heart of chocolate: you have to prepare a chocolate ganache, so nothing complicated. Just take care to melt the chocolate in a saucepan in a bain-marie, over medium heat, without a hurry.
Cut the chocolate into small pieces and place it in a saucepan that you will put in a bain-marie. Add the cream a little at a time, and when the chocolate is perfectly melted, remove it from the stove.
Separate the yolks and incorporate them into the chocolate ganache, stirring gently. Whip the egg whites separately, as always, with a pinch of salt, and then mix them into the chocolate ganache.
Let’s go back to the pastry. Take the dough and roll it out with a floured rolling pin or parchment paper. A thickness of 5 mm for the bottom of the tart should be fine.
Put the parchment paper in a cake tin, prepare the pastry and place it on top, cut along the edge of the pan, push it gently to make it stick to the cake pan, and cover with a sheet of baking paper on which you’ll put dry beans or pastry weights.
Set the oven to 180 degrees and cook for 15 minutes to cook the shortcrust pastry dough.
When it is ready, remove it and go on with the tart’s filling. Put the first layer of caramelized pears and finish with a chocolate waterfall.
Put the tart in the oven and bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes, and the pie is ready. Let it cool for 1 hour, and then it can be served.
For a more elegant presentation, you can slice and arrange pears on the short pastry and then drown them in the chocolate ganache so that they emerge from the black chocolate sea. Sprinkle with some walnuts, and you are ready to eat your delicious tart.
Which wine goes well with pear and chocolate tart?
A strong, tannic, and super sweet like Recioto della Valpolicella or a Sagrantino di Montefalco are ok. But for a perfect pairing, chocolate needs a more alcoholic and strong wine like Tokaji, Port wine, or Marsala. Calvados and peaty whiskeys are lovely options too.
