Whenever I bake this tart, I pretend I am in Paris. I’m in one of those neighborhood bakeries smelling the scent of sweet pastry and fresh baguettes. I am taking my wrapped tart to one of the benches in the park near Notre Dame and savor every bite while life unfolds in front of me. But I am not in Paris, I am in Santa Cruz and it is time to share this delicious tart recipe with you. Let’s go back to the IFBC (International Food Blogger’s Conference) in Sacramento that I attended this past summer. While there, my friend Deb (who writes a blog called “East Of Eden”) and I went on an a pre-conference excursion to the California Endive farm and Stillwater Orchards, a pear orchard in the Sacramento-San Joaquin river delta. The delta is a labyrinth of sloughs and an estuary in Northern California. It’s gorgeous country with small rural towns, islands, and tributaries flowing throughout. Most of the land has been claimed by agriculture, pears being one of the fruits grown. There is a Pear Fair in the small town of Locke. Our visit at the end of July was wonderful. The pears were on the trees, ripe and ready to be harvested. After a tour of the orchard, we had a picnic lunch under a giant oak tree. The dessert was a delicious pear crumble. We all got a bag of pears to take home. I decided to make my pear tart with them. This tart recipe has been a family treasure for many years. Yet I am always in search of the perfect crust. For the blog post, I decided to use a pastry crust known as pâte sucrée, a rich and sweet pastry with a crisp cookie-like texture.
51 Comments
Kathryn Rocheleau
11/4/2016 10:52:26 pm
Oooh i like the crust Gerlinde! Gorgeous tart!
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Gerlinde
11/4/2016 10:55:57 pm
Thanks Kathryn, it is a delicious. I just had a slice.
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Truly, Gerlinde, you are just too mean. First, you make me jealous of your memories of Paris. Oh. My. Then you remind us all that you live in beautiful Santa Cruz, a town difficult to describe because of its sweetness yet fruitiness - it's distinct flavor like no other town in CA. Hmmm, Santa Cruz sounds a lot like a perfect almond pear tart!
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Gerlinde
11/7/2016 11:55:39 pm
Pam, you have a way with words that's wonderful. I love it.
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11/5/2016 07:11:26 am
I feel like I am in Paris just looking at your beautiful photos and reading your ingredient list. Love pear tarts! One of my dear friends showed me how to make this but she used a really difficult to work with tart crust and yours seems much easier. Would love a slice with my morning coffee!! The breakfast of champions.
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Gerlinde
11/6/2016 06:40:55 pm
Thank you Bobbie, there are many different recipes for tart doughs. For this recipe I use a french version made with soft butter. I have a German recipe for a chocolate tart where I use cold butter. Both are good.
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Gerlinde
11/6/2016 06:43:23 pm
Thank you Kay, it's a nice tart for the upcoming holidays.
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11/5/2016 02:32:18 pm
Yummy! I printed this one off and will be making it soon.
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Gerlinde
11/6/2016 06:45:24 pm
Thank you Darlene, let me know how it turns out.
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11/5/2016 02:39:27 pm
Dear Gerlinde, what a lovely story you pulled me into with your imagining of the Paris bakery. I could almost taste this lovely tart. As I looked at all the photos, I could smell it baking. Thank you for this delightful post. Mega hugs.
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Gerlinde
11/6/2016 07:13:20 pm
Thank you Teagan, I wish I could share this tart with you. Mega hugs back.
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11/5/2016 03:33:28 pm
It really was a wonderful day at the Delta! Hot, fragrant with ripe pears and dusky endive. Your Almond Pear Tart is fabulous! I long for a slice with hot tea this gray, fall afternoon.
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Gerlinde
11/6/2016 07:00:54 pm
I hope we have just as much fun next year.
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11/5/2016 04:15:23 pm
Pears are one of my favorite fruits. Juice dripping down your chin, the soft texture of the flesh, the subtle flavor - so perfect for a beautiful tart like this!
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Gerlinde
11/6/2016 07:03:39 pm
Thank you Tricia, pears are perfect for tarts and cakes.
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Gerlinde
11/6/2016 07:05:10 pm
Thank you Greg
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Gerlinde
11/6/2016 07:06:45 pm
Thank you David, I enjoy sharing my recipes
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Gerlinde
11/8/2016 02:14:08 pm
Thank you David for catching my mistake. I added the amount of butter to the recipe. Let me know how it turned out. My husband didn't care for the apricot glaze.
Tara
11/6/2016 07:18:45 am
Beautiful tart!
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Gerlinde
11/6/2016 07:08:26 pm
Lets bake something together when I get back.
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Gerlinde
11/6/2016 07:10:04 pm
Thank you Cheri, that is so sweet of you.
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11/6/2016 07:50:27 pm
Pears are so under rated, but I love them! I know I would devour this tart, but I'd put those gorgeous plates on my wall!
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Gerlinde
11/8/2016 12:01:55 am
Thank you Abbe for visiting my blog. My mother in law had one of those plates on her wall. The plate from the first photo was painted by my girlfriend. She is a wonderful watercolor artist and you find her website on my home page.
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11/7/2016 05:04:39 am
The pear tart looks yummy. Your post reminds me that I was spoiled when we lived in New Hampshire and I could go out in my front yard and pick pears. :)
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Gerlinde
11/7/2016 11:46:24 pm
Thank you Karen, homegrown pears are so much better. I'm in Connecticut visiting a friend and I had the best apples ever.
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11/7/2016 05:25:29 am
Wow Gerlinde! This pear tart is a total show stopper! I think the poor pear takes the back seat to fall apples unfortunately, but not at my house! I LOVE pear desserts and will be trying this one for sure!
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Gerlinde
11/7/2016 11:48:09 pm
Thank you Mary Ann , I hope you like this pear tart.
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Gerlinde
11/8/2016 07:16:21 pm
I love those plates Frank, especially the first one.
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11/8/2016 05:37:36 am
HI Gerlinde--sorry to have been so absent the past several months as Bill and I are still in transition. Your blog is lovely as ever--look at those handsome pears--and that scrumptious tart!
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Gerlinde
11/9/2016 04:49:35 am
Hi Nancy, I am so glad to have you back . Your last post brought tears to my eyes, it was such a touching story.
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Gerlinde
11/9/2016 04:50:11 am
Tank you Mary
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11/9/2016 08:23:52 am
This looks wonderful! SO pretty. And pears are terrific at this time of the year. And work so nicely in tarts. Really good stuff -- thanks.
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Gerlinde
11/9/2016 11:26:07 am
Thank you John, I appreciate your comment.
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Gerlinde
11/10/2016 02:14:55 pm
Hi Friko, the tart is delicious but it has about 230 g of butter altogether. You could cut down the butter on the crust by dividing it into two parts and making a thin crust with one half and freezing the other half for later. One of my friends suggested to substitute coconut oil for butter in the crust. I have no idea how that will taste or turn out. Anyway, good luck and tell me how it turns out if you change the amount of
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Gerlinde
11/11/2016 03:52:06 am
Thank you Mimi, some of those plates are from my mother in law.
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Gerlinde
11/13/2016 06:33:13 am
Sure ZaZa, come on over , I would love some company.
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Gerlinde
11/15/2016 12:30:29 pm
John, I have the same weak spot for baked goods that are almond-flavored. Thanks for commenting.
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Diane Marvin-Koenig
2/10/2019 05:38:52 pm
I love a fruit dessert so this pear tart is a perfect end to a special dinner or afternoon treat. The nuttiness of the ground almonds is a compliment to the graininess of the pear. Not too sweet! I like it that way. A very European feeling and tasting dessert. Delicious!
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