It’s Tuesday but not just any Tuesday.  This is a special Tuesday because Dorie Greenspan herself chose this week’s recipe for our Tuesday With Dorie (TwD) baking group!  TWD turns 1 year old this week and, to celebrate such an incredible occasion, THEE Dorie Greenspan was selected as hostess!  So yes indeedy this week we truly are baking with Dorie!  She chose her French Pear Tart for the recipe and lucky for me she had other fruits in the Playing Around options because 1) I have not a pear in the house 2) I wasn’t about to hit the market to buy pears  and 3) I have a whole bunch of apples that need to be used up :)

I was very unsure about this recipe and talked myself into… and out of… making this probably ten times before I just decided to go for it.  This tart is comprised of several individual components that are made separately then assembled and baked.  

The tart shell came together rather easily for me this time.  Perhaps it was because I used one less tablespoon of butter than the recipe calls for.  I think I’ll do it that way in the future!  At any rate, the shell is made, rolled out, laid in the pan, frozen for a little while then lined with buttered foil and partially baked. I love the taste of this tart shell – it’s like a good, buttery shortbread cookie :)

The almond cream is best made using a food processor.  I started off trying to make it using my stand mixer but the butter and sugar never became smooth & satiny so I gave up and used the food processor. Worked like a charm and the almond cream is extremely good!  This recipe calls for a 9″ tart pan but the only full size one I have is 11″ so I just went ahead that way.  In hindsight I really should’ve made at least 25% more filling to give the tart more height… maybe even 50% more because the almond cream is so so so good!

As previously mentioned I used apples instead of pears and have no regrets.  I sliced them rather thin, laid them out in the “cross” pattern Dorie describes in the recipe and then decided to do more of an 8 spoked wheel pattern… this way ensuring that every single delicious slice would have apples!

After the shell has cooled, the cream is poured in then the fruit arranged on top and the tart is baked. I was glad I checked on it after 15 minutes because my poor little apples started to look a bit dried out.  I gave them a quick brush of milk and sprinkled on some cinnamon sugar and then returned the tart to the oven.  DH and I both agreed this was so good we could’ve easily eaten the entire thing in one night!  But because we’re being good and trying to take off a few of those holiday pounds that crept on, I brought the rest to work today so that my co-workers could enjoy it :) 

Please take a moment to check out the creations of the other TwD bakers… they probably used the pears :) If you’d like the recipe, it can be found on Dorie’s website which you can find by clicking here… or better yet, buy her book Baking from My Home To Yours – you won’t regret it!

Have a delicious day!

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