I’ve been trapped up in the house since Thursday with the flu (ugh, I know), and since I don’t quite have the energy to get into the kitchen and bake, I thought I would blog about a great pear recipe that I made for dessert last weekend.

One of the best things about my yard is the remarkable amount of produce we get from our trees.  With two large apple trees and one pear tree, we get more than our fare share of pomes.  But the pears are always what I look forward to most.

Unsure of the variety, they are firm and almost apple-like in texture, even when allowed to ripen to the fullest.  They never get terribly soft and juicy, like I prefer my pears.  But, they’re great for baking, adding to salads, and on their own, they are fairly delicious, too.

My sister-in-law, niece, and mother-in-law were all coming to dinner on Sunday night, and as usual, our pear tree had provided us with quite the number of pears.   I’m talking BUCKETS and BUCKETS of pears.  So I decided to make a pear tart.

Mmmmm - Pears!

Ingredients:

One pie crust (if you’re not in the mood to make it yourself, which I prefer, a store-bought crust will do)
1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2-3 large pears, peeled with ends trimmed
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
6 Tablespoons butter
Nutmeg
Cinnamon

1. Make the crust.  Or, if buying it, roll it out so that it fits your tart pan.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. Spray your tart pan with non-stick spray, and then press the crust into the pan until it fits nicely.
4. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese onto the crust, lightly pressing it in place.
5. Sprinkle a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg over the cheese.
6. Slice the pears lengthwise into quite thin pieces, then lay them out, slightly overlapping, from one end of the tart to the other.  Make several rows as needed. Pour lemon juice over the top.
7. Melt 3 T of butter in the microwave. Pour about 1 T. over the pears and pour the rest over the brown sugar, and stir.  Add cinnamon and nutmeg to taste.
8. Sprinkle part of the brown sugar over the pears, about half the mixture.  Make sure it is not too thick in any one place.
9. Cube 1.5 T of the remaining butter into small pieces, and place evenly over the tart.
10. Bake for 10 minutes.
11. Remove tart from oven, and sprinkle the remaining brown sugar evenly.  Cube the remaining butter, and place over the top of the pears.
12. Sprinkle with a touch more cinnamon and sugar.
13. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the pears are soft.

Completed Pear Tart

I love to use a touch of cheddar cheese whenever I bake a crust that is meant for pears or apples.  The flavor isn’t strong at all, but it perfectly compliments the texture and the flavor of fruits in the pome family.  In fact, my mother-in-law was surprised to even know that it was in the recipe.

I also made fresh whipped cream to serve with this.  It’s not only a nice garnish, but anytime you can fresh whipped cream with something, you should.  The tart was really just an excuse for me to have my way with a little whipped cream.  And besides, leftover cream is great with hot chocolate!

Pear Tart Ready to Eat, with Fresh Whipped Cream